TTV Dhinakaran asks 18 disqualified MLAs to move to resort near Tirunelveli till Madras HC verdict

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran on Monday asked eighteen disqualified legislators to move to Courtallam resort near Tirunelveli district till the Madras High Court delivers its verdict on their disqualification, reports have said. The move comes amidst speculations that E Palaniswami may poach some of the MLAs. [caption id=“attachment_5424011” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image of AMMK leader leader TTV Dinakaran. ANI[/caption] The Madras High Court is expected to deliver the verdict on the disqualification of 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs soon. On 14 June, the Madras High Court passed a split verdict in the case of disqualification of 18 MLAs of AIADMK. The matter was to be heard by a third judge. Chief Justice Indira Banerjee had upheld the disqualification of the eighteen legislators ordered by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, while Justice M Sundar disagreed with her and struck it down. Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran had expressed his disappointment over the judgment of Madras High Court. The political crisis in Tamil Nadu began in September last year, when Dhanapal disqualified eighteen AIADMK MLAs under the 1986 Tamil Nadu Assembly Members Party Defection Law. The lawmakers were disqualified after they submitted a letter to then Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, expressing no confidence in Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. The disqualified MLAs include: S Thangatamilselvan (Andipatti), R Murugan (Harur), S Mariappan Kennedy (Manamadurai), K Kadirkamu (Periyakulam), Jayanthi Padmanabhan (Gudiyattam), P Palaniappan (Pappireddypatti), V Senthil Balaji (Aravakurichi), S Muthiah (Paramakudi), P Vetrivel (Perambur), NG Pathiban (Sholingur), M Kodandapani (Tiruporur), TA Elumalai (Poonamallee), M Rengasamy (Thanjavur), R Thangadurai (Nilakottai), R Balasubramani (Ambur), SG Subramanian (Sattur), R Sundaraj (Ottapidaram) and Uma Maheswari (Vilathikulam). Post disqualification, the MLAs asked Governor Rao to remove Palaniswami. Alleging mala fide intention by the Speaker, the rebel MLAs moved the Madras HC to reinstate them. Subsequently, the high court had then reserved its verdict. If the disqualified MLAs are not allowed to sit in the House, the 234-seat Tamil Nadu state assembly’s strength would come to 215. With inputs from ANI