18 disqualified MLAs in TN: Palaniswami, TTV Dhinakaran hold separate meetings; confident of HC ruling

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday held a consultation with his senior Ministers at his Greenways residence on the verdict over the 18 disqualified MLAs before leaving for the Assembly.

Senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters that the Madras HC order will ‘be in our favour’.

Meanwhile, RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran held a meeting with the 18 disqualified MLAs at his residence. Kallakurichi MLA A Prabhu, who sided with Dhinakaran, also attending this meeting.

Thanga Tamilchelvan, one of the disqualified MLA told DNA, “We are 100% the Madras HC order will be in our favour as we did not violate any whip. The court did not even disqualify O Panneerselvam and 11 other MLAs, who violated the whip and voted against EPS government in the assembly.

He added that if the order is in our favour, the MLAs will go straight to the assembly to begin their work. “No other MLAs would have suffered like us as we were prevented from doing our duties for the last 10 months.”

The MLAs, however, said that they will not appeal against the verdict, but will go for a bypoll. “We will emerge victorious,” Tamilchelvan said.

Tamilselvan, one of the disqualified legislator, dismissed the claim of the government saying that all the 18 MLAs had suffered a lot in the last nine months that they would not leave Dhinakaran.

Currently, the total strength of the House has come down to 216 from 234 following the disqualification of the 18 MLAs. The ruling AIADMK has 116 members while DMK (89) along with Congress (8) and lone IUML member has 98 members in the house of 216. Dhinakaran is an independent MLA.

Out of the AIADMK'S 116 MLAs, Thamimun Ansari, Thaniarasu and Karunas who won the election on the AIADMK symbol had not clearly stated their stand.

Article Type:

Sections:

Authors:

Agencies:

Tags: