MLA disqualification case: AIADMK rebels to move SC against Madras HC order

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (AIADMK) rebel Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) against whom the Madras High Court had upheld the disqualification order, on Friday said they would move the Supreme Court challenging the order.   

On Thursday, Supreme Court-appointed third judge of the Madras High Court Justice M Sathyanarayanan upheld the validity of Tamil Nadu Speaker's September 18, 2017, order disqualifying 18 MLAs belonging to AIADMK in the state. These MLAs had earlier pledged support to rebel party leader TTV Dhinakaran, who later went on to form his own faction AMMK. 

Thanga Tamil Selvan, one of the 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs, said that they will approach the top court within 30 to 90 days. "Our advocate says that there are many drawbacks in the Madras High Court verdict. Within 30 to 90 days, we will approach Supreme Court," Selvan told reporters here.  
 

In August last year, a total of 19 AIADMK MLAs had submitted a letter to then Governor CV Rao withdrawing support to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. As a retort, chief whip S Rajendiran asked Speaker P Dhanapal to disqualify the MLAs stating that their actions amounted to voluntarily giving up their party membership.

Later one of the MLAs, STK Jakkaiyan, came back to Palaniswami's side and Dhanapal disqualified the remaining MLAs in September 2017 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), NG Pathiban (Sholingur), M Kodandapani (Tiruporur), TA Elumalai (Poonamallee), M Rengasamy (Thanjavur), R Thangadurai (Nilakottai), R Balasubramani (Ambur), S G Subramanian (Sattur), R Sundaraj (Ottapidaram) and Uma Maheswari (Vilathikulam).