Tamil Nadu Speaker disqualifies 18 AIADMK MLAs supporting Dhinakaran

Tamil Nadu Speaker P Dhanapal on Moday disqualified 18 AIADMK MLAs who withdrew support to Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami.  

These MLAs support T T V Dhinakaran.

The Speaker disqualifed them under Schedule 10 (provisions as to disqualification on ground of defection).

Meanwhile, Dhinakaran faction decided to approach the Court.

A total of 19 AIADMK MLAs had submitted a letter to the Governor C Vidyasagar Rao earlier stating they were withdrawing their support to Chief Minister Palaniswami. They also asked the Governor to initiate the process to appoint a new Chief Minister.

AIADMK's Chief Whip S Rajendran then wrote to the Assembly Speaker Dhanapal and asked him to disqualify the 19 MLAs who have rebelled against Palaniswami. Speaker issued notices to the 19 MLAs and asked them why they should not be disqualified under the anti-defection law.

Subsequently one of the MLA Jakkaiyan switched over to Palaniswami's side.

Today, 18 legislators who are disqualified include Thanga Tamilselvan (representing Andipatti constituency), R.Murugan (Aroor), Mariappan Kennedy (Manamadurai), K.Kathirkamu (Periyakulam), Jayanthi Padmanabhan (Gudiyatham), P.Palaniappan (Papireddypatti), V.Senthil Balaji (Aravakuruchi), S.Muthiah (Paramakudi), P.Vetrivel (Perambur), N.G.Parthiban (Sholingar), Kothandapani (Thiruporur), Elumalai (Poonthamalli), M.Rengasamy (Thanjavur), R.Thangadurai (Nilakottai), R.Balasubramani (Ambur), S.G.Subramanian (Sathur), R.Sundaraj (Ottapidaram) and K.Uma Maheswari (Vilathikulam).

After the disqualification of 18 MLAs, AIADMK's strength has now dropped to 117. 

In the 234-member state Assembly, AIADMK had 134 MLAs including the Speaker. The RK Nagar seat is vacant following the death of J Jayalalithaa.