Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami or EPS will remain at the helm of the state's opposition AIADMK party, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, in a major blow for his rival O Panneerselvam or OPS.
The top court upheld an order of the Madras High Court after considering a batch of cases concerning changes to the party's rules during a controversial general council meeting in July. The top court dismissed the petitions filed by Mr Panneerselvam.
"I was in doubt about the Supreme Court judgement. The veils under which DMK's B-team was functioning were torn by the Supreme Court's verdict. Jayalalithaa said in the assembly that this party will rule for 100 years. This has been confirmed by the judgement," EPS said.
The verdict is the latest turn in the upheaval triggered by the death of AIADMK's matriarch J Jayalalithaa in December 2016 which first catapulted OPS as her successor and later EPS. The AIADMK has since been locked in a power struggle that has surfaced every few months.
The last twist was in September when the Madras High Court allowed EPS's appeal, setting aside an order in favour of OPS, who had been removed from the party at the July meeting, making way for his rival to head the tottering opposition party in the country's second-richest state.
Supporters of Mr Palaniswami broke out in celebration at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai, lighting firecrackers and pouring milk on a giant cut-out of the strongman from Salem.
Terming the Supreme Court ruling "historic", senior AIADMK leader and former minister D Jayakumar said that in the battle between the 'Pandavas' and 'Kauravas', it is the former who win, billing his camp as the protagonists from the ancient epic Mahabharata.
Rubbing in his victory, Mr Jayakumar made the sign for a zero when asked what OPS's political future would be.
On Monday, OPS had attacked the EPS faction, accusing them of betraying the party constitution. "After [AIADMK founder] MGRs demise, our leader Jayalalithaa was the permanent general secretary. The one who wants to be party chief should be elected by party cadres only," he said at an event.