Kochi: The leadership crisis within the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) has taken a fresh turn, with AMMA President Shwetha Menon asserting that the present executive committee will continue to function until the next election, despite the developments that followed the association’s General Body meeting held on June 21.
In a detailed statement shared on social media, Shwetha Menon clarified that she has not formally resigned from the post of President. She maintained that while she had announced her intention to step down during the General Body meeting, no official resignation letter has been submitted. Therefore, according to her, she continues to hold office as AMMA President.
Shwetha further alleged that around 10 to 15 members had attended the June 21 meeting with a pre-planned agenda to remove her executive committee. She claimed that the resolution seeking to dissolve the committee failed to secure the mandatory two-thirds majority required under AMMA’s constitution and, therefore, has no legal validity.
Citing the association’s by-laws, she stated that the existing executive committee has the authority to continue functioning until fresh elections are conducted. She also questioned the legitimacy of the ad hoc committee that was subsequently announced to oversee the affairs of the association.
Meanwhile, the crisis has intensified with executive committee members Joy Mathew, Jayan Cherthala and Kailash formally submitting their resignations from the committee headed by Shwetha Menon. Their resignations come amid the ongoing dispute over the formation of the ad hoc committee and the legality of the decisions taken at the General Body meeting.
Earlier, members associated with the ad hoc committee had maintained that neither Shwetha Menon nor any member of her executive panel had officially submitted resignation letters, despite the executive committee’s dissolution being announced during the General Body meeting.
With both sides interpreting AMMA’s constitution differently and questioning each other’s legitimacy, the Malayalam film industry’s premier actors’ body finds itself facing one of the most significant leadership crises in its recent history. The developments are expected to keep the controversy alive until the matter is resolved either through legal interpretation or the association’s next election.