18 AIADMK Rebel MLAs Disqualified By Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker
Eighteen AIADMK legislators who had revolted against Chief Minister K Palaniswami last month were disqualified on Monday. They owe allegiance to “removed” party leader TTV Dhinakaran.
Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal took the action against the MLAs under anti-defection and disqualification rules of 1986 formed in accordance with the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, said a statement from Assembly Secretary K Bhoopathy.
The legislators, besides another, had on August 22 met Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar and conveyed that they had lost confidence in Palaniswami, who is facing a challenge from Dhinakaran.
One of the dissident MLAs, SKT Jakkaiyan, later switched camps to support Palaniswami. These other MLAs had since been demanding the removal of the chief minister.
The meeting with the Governor had come a day after the formal merger of the two factions led by Palaniswami and then rebel leader and now Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
Earlier, Chief Government Whip S Rajendran had urged the Speaker to disqualify the said MLAs for "anti-party activities" following their revolt against the chief minister.
The Speaker had issued notices to all the dissident MLAs seeking their individual presence. However, they didn't turn up.
A resolution adopted at a meeting chaired by Palaniswami on August 28 had said Dhinakaran was "removed" from the post of deputy general secretary.
Opposition parties have since been insisting the Governor direct a floor test for the Palaniswami government for proving its majority in the Assembly. In the 234-member House, AIADMK has a strength of 134 MLAs.
The Opposition has a strength of 98, including DMK's 89, Congress' 8 and one IUML legislator.
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