Tamil Nadu Speaker disqualifies 18 MLAs supporting TTV Dhinakaran
B Sivakumar and Julie Mariappan| TNN | Updated: Sep 18, 2017, 14:53 IST
HIGHLIGHTS
The MLAs were disqualified under Schedule 10 of the Indian Constitution which speaks about the anti-defection law
Chief minister EPS earlier accused Dhinakaran of colluding with DMK to topple government
AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, along with the MLAs supporting him,
addressing a press conference at a resort in Puducherry (File photo)
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker P Dhanapal on Monday disqualified 18 AIADMK MLAs+ who are supporting sidelined party deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran. The MLAs were disqualified+ under Schedule 10 of the Indian Constitution, which deals with the anti-defection law.
"The Speaker has taken action under schedule 10 of the constitution and therefore the following MLAs are disqualified and therefore they lose their MLA post," said a statement issued by assembly secretary K Boopathy on Monday morning.
The MLAs are 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), N G Pathiban (Sholingur), M Kodandapani (Tiruporur), T A Elumalai (Poonamallee), M Rengasamy (Thanjavur), R Thangadurai (Nilakottai), R Balasubramani (Ambur), S G Subramanian (Sattur), R Sundaraj (Ottapidaram) and Uma Maheswari (Vilathikulam).
The speaker had summoned all the rebel MLAs to appear before him. However, only a few of them appeared before him despite the speaker sending notices to all a couple of times.
Last month, 19 MLAs met Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and gave separate letters withdrawing support to the chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami after the EPSfaction and the faction group led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam merged.
With the disqualification of the 18 MLAs, the strength of AIADMK has come down to 116 (including the speaker). The DMK has 89 members, the Congress has eight MLAs and the IUML has one member. The assembly had 234 elected members, with RK Nagar seat which former chief minister J Jayalalithaa represented remaining vacant.
With 18 MLAs disqualified, there are 19 seats vacant now. This means the assembly has only 215 elected members. The government needs only 108 votes to prove its majority in the assembly now in case of floor test.
Reacting to the decision of the speaker, TTV supporters said they would go to court against the speaker's decision.
"The EPS govt which can't prove majority in the floor of House is resorting to disqualification of MLAs. We will move court seeking relief," Vetrivel, one of the disqualified MLAs, told TOI.
Vetrivel said MLAs staying in resort at Coorg in Karnataka were being intimidated by the Tamil Nadu police. "The EPS government acts like a demon," he said.
"This is murder of democracy by the Speaker to help CM. He could have disqualified the MLAs if they acted against the party whip during floor test, but he disqualified those who expressed their differences outside the assembly. I have lost my respect for Speaker,"" said DMK deputy floor leader S Duraimurugan.
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker P Dhanapal on Monday disqualified 18 AIADMK MLAs+ who are supporting sidelined party deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran. The MLAs were disqualified+ under Schedule 10 of the Indian Constitution, which deals with the anti-defection law.
"The Speaker has taken action under schedule 10 of the constitution and therefore the following MLAs are disqualified and therefore they lose their MLA post," said a statement issued by assembly secretary K Boopathy on Monday morning.
The MLAs are 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), N G Pathiban (Sholingur), M Kodandapani (Tiruporur), T A Elumalai (Poonamallee), M Rengasamy (Thanjavur), R Thangadurai (Nilakottai), R Balasubramani (Ambur), S G Subramanian (Sattur), R Sundaraj (Ottapidaram) and Uma Maheswari (Vilathikulam).
The speaker had summoned all the rebel MLAs to appear before him. However, only a few of them appeared before him despite the speaker sending notices to all a couple of times.
Last month, 19 MLAs met Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and gave separate letters withdrawing support to the chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami after the EPSfaction and the faction group led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam merged.
With the disqualification of the 18 MLAs, the strength of AIADMK has come down to 116 (including the speaker). The DMK has 89 members, the Congress has eight MLAs and the IUML has one member. The assembly had 234 elected members, with RK Nagar seat which former chief minister J Jayalalithaa represented remaining vacant.
With 18 MLAs disqualified, there are 19 seats vacant now. This means the assembly has only 215 elected members. The government needs only 108 votes to prove its majority in the assembly now in case of floor test.
Reacting to the decision of the speaker, TTV supporters said they would go to court against the speaker's decision.
"The EPS govt which can't prove majority in the floor of House is resorting to disqualification of MLAs. We will move court seeking relief," Vetrivel, one of the disqualified MLAs, told TOI.
Vetrivel said MLAs staying in resort at Coorg in Karnataka were being intimidated by the Tamil Nadu police. "The EPS government acts like a demon," he said.
"This is murder of democracy by the Speaker to help CM. He could have disqualified the MLAs if they acted against the party whip during floor test, but he disqualified those who expressed their differences outside the assembly. I have lost my respect for Speaker,"" said DMK deputy floor leader S Duraimurugan.
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