SC to hear disqualified AIADMK MLAs' plea on June 27

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the plea filed by 18 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs against their disqualification, on June 27.

The apex court's decision comes a week after Madras High Court passed a split verdict in the connecting case.

Chief Justice Indira Banerjee had upheld the disqualification of the 18 legislators ordered by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, while Justice M Sundar disagreed with her and struck it down.

The political crisis in Tamil Nadu began in September last year when Dhanapal disqualified 18 AIADMK MLAs under the 1986 Tamil Nadu Assembly Members Party Defection Law.

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), N G Pathiban (Sholingur), M Kodandapani (Tiruporur), T A Elumalai (Poonamallee), M Rengasamy (Thanjavur), R Thangadurai (Nilakottai), R Balasubramani (Ambur), S G Subramanian (Sattur), R Sundaraj (Ottapidaram) and Uma Maheswari (Vilathikulam).

Post disqualification, the MLAs asked State Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao to remove Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

Alleging mala fide intention by the Speaker, the rebel MLAs moved the Madras High Court 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.