Disqualified Dhinakaran faction AIADMK MLAs approach HC; hearing tomorrow

On Monday, the Speaker disqualified 18 MLAs who had said they no longer trusted CM Palaniswami

A day after Speaker P Dhanapal disqualified 18 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) supporting T T V Dhinakaran, a family member of V K Sasikala, the dissenting MLAs approached the Madras High Court on Tuesday. The court has permitted the filing of the petition and allowed a hearing on Wednesday.

The dissenting MLAs, who earlier submitted letters to Acting Governor C Vidyasagar Rao that they have lost their trust in Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, would put forward their arguments against the Speaker's decision in the Court on Wednesday, said sources.

Acting Governor Rao is expected to reach Chennai on Tuesday amid the tussle in the ruling party. On Monday, he met President Ram Nath Kovind and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Reports said that he discussed the political situation in Tamil Nadu during the meeting, though this was not confirmed by the Raj Bhavan.

Another petition from the Opposition party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), seeking directions to the government to summon an Assembly session for a trust vote is also scheduled for hearing on Wednesday. In an earlier hearing, where T T V Dhinakaran-led faction MLA P Vetrivel has sought the court's interference with the expected action against the 18 MLAs by the Speaker, the court directed the government not to conduct a trust vote before September 20.

The government, during the hearing last week, had said that the Speaker was acting on the charges against the 18 MLAs who have marked their distrust on the chief minister.

On Monday, the Speaker disqualified 18 MLAs on charges that they voluntarily gave up their membership by submitting the letter to the Governor against the chief minister. Following this, these MLAs have lost their position in the Assembly. The Assembly administration has also informed the Election Commission that the 18 seats are vacant now, along with the seat that fell vacant after the demise of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.

T T V Dhinakaran, who was earlier expelled by the Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction from the post of deputy general secretary, has said that he still has the support of at least 12 MLAs, apart from many others who are in shock over the action taken by the Speaker. He said that they would vote against the government in a trust vote on the floor.

Meanwhile, the Speaker's action was criticised by leaders of various parties. Former Union finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday said that the Speaker's decision to disqualify MLAs was blatantly partisan and aimed at helping a minority Tamil Nadu government, adding that nothing could save a sinking ship.

Posting on Twitter on Tuesday, he said, "18 MLAs disqualified to manufacture a majority for paralysed TN Govt. TN is theatre of the absurd". 

Further, he tweeted, "If TN Speaker is correct, no elected leader of a legislature party can be changed by dissenting MLAs! Once elected, CM for 5 years!"

"Governor requested to act. He did not! Speaker requested to observe restraint. He acted! TN politics is tragi-comedy," he added.

DMK Working President and Opposition Leader M K Stalin on Monday criticised the Speaker's decision and said that it was against the spirit of democracy. In the wake of the new development, DMK leaders are expected to conduct a meeting on Tuesday in Chennai.

Questions were also raised on the motive of the action, while the 10 MLAs supporting O Panneerselvam were spared from action even though they voted against the Palaniswami government earlier in a trust vote.

The Assembly has a total of 235 seats, of which one is meant for a nominated member and one fell vacant after the demise of Jayalalithaa. Excluding these seats and the seat of the Assembly Speaker, there are 232 seats in the state Assembly at present. Out of these seats, the Opposition, including the DMK, Indian National Congress, and Indian Union Muslim League, has 98.

Of the 134 MLAs with AIADMK, 18 MLAs have been disqualified, which leaves the strength of the ruling party in the Assembly at 116. Further, the position of the two independent MLAs who won under the Two Leaves symbol is not known. Without them, the ruling faction has 114 seats. However, it requires only 108 seats under the new situation as against the previous 118 seats required, said analysts.