HC reserves order in AIADMK MLAs disqualification case

The Madras High Court today reserved its order on a plea by 18 dissident AIADMK MLAs of the TTV Dhinakaran faction challenging their disqualification by assembly speaker last September.

A bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan reserved his order after hearing argument by the two parties today, stretching over to 12 days.

The ruling is to have a bearing on the longevity of the Chief Minister K Palaniswami-led government in Tamil Nadu.

Justice Sathyanarayanan was the third judge to hear the matter after a split verdict was delivered by a division bench earlier on June 14.

While erstwhile Chief Justice Indira Banerjee had on upheld the September 18, 2017 order of Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal disqualifying the MLAs, the other judge on the bench, Justice M Sundar had struck down the MLAs' disqualification.

While the ruling meant status quo for the Palaniswami government, some of the disqualified MLAs approached the Supreme Court, seeking transfer of their petition challenging the ruling from the Madras High Court to the apex court.

The top court ruled that Justice Sathyanarayanan would hear the matter.

The MLAs were disqualified after they had called on the state governor on August 22 last year, expressing lack of confidence in the leadership of Palaniswami and seeking a change of guard.

Wrapping up his argument, senior counsel Aryama Sundaram, representing Speaker Dhanapal, submitted his counter-points to the judgment of Justice Sundar.