18 disqualified AIADMK MLAs to appeal in SC

The 18 disqualified AIADMK MLAs in Tamil Nadu on Friday decided to appeal in the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court order upholding the Tamil Nadu Speaker P.Dhanapal order disqualifying them.

Speaking to reporters here, Thanga Tamilselvan, one of the disqualified MLAs, said they will be filing their appeal petition in two or three days.

He announced the decision after a meeting of the disqualified law makers with Dhinakaran.

The challenging of the decision and a plea for stay on the holding of bye-elections in these constituencies could scuttle the chances of immediate polls to fill these vacancies.

On Thursday Justice M. Sathyanarayanan, the third judge named by the Supreme Court after a split verdict delivered by a two-judge bench earlier, upheld Speaker Dhanapal's order, saying it was done under the provisions of the anti-defection law and vacated the stay on holding bye-elections to these constituencies.

The 18 disqualified legislators belong to the sidelined AIADMK leader T.T.V.Dhinakaran, now an independent legislator.

Last year, the 18 legislators had met the then Governor C.Vidyasagar Rao and gave a representation requesting him to change Chief Minister K.Palaniswami as they had lost confidence in him.

Following that Speaker Dhanapal on the representation from the Chief Government Whip S.Rajendiran disqualified the 18 legislators under the anti-defection law.

According to Thanga Tamilselvan, the disqualified legislators would fight the by-polls if held.

It may be noted, they were disqualified last year and the case was pending in the Madras High Court since then. The Madras High Court in an interim order had restrained the Election Commission from holding by-polls in the 18 seats.

--IANS

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