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We’ll face the situation, says Dhinakaran after Madras HC verdict on 18 AIADMK MLAs
The high court’s order against the 18 MLAs owing allegiance to Dhinakaran is a shot in the arm for the beleaguered Edappadi Palaniswami government.
The Madras High Court’s order upholding the disqualification of 18 dissident AIADMK MLAs of Tamil Nadu assembly is not a setback, rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran said on Thursday.
“This is an experience. We will face the situation. The future course of action will be decided after meeting with the 18 MLAs,” Dinakaran was quoted as saying by news agency ANI after the court’s verdict.
The high court’s order against the 18 MLAs owing allegiance to Dhinakaran is a shot in the arm for the beleaguered Edappadi Palaniswami government.
Justice M Sathyanarayanan, the third judge appointed by the Supreme Court to hear and decide the matter, pronounced the verdict in a packed court hall, bringing jubilation to the chief minister’s camp and closed the curtains on the more than a year-long legal battle.
Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker P Dhanapal had disqualified the 18 legislators under the anti-defection act on September 18, 2017, for “voluntarily giving up their memberships” of the AIADMK after they had withdrawn support to the Palaniswami government.
This had come following the ouster of Dhinakaran and his aunt Sasikala from AIADMK by the reunited forces of Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam after the death of the former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
The disqualification was seen as a pre-emptive move to stymie any attempt by Dhinakaran to dislodge the government and he himself occupying the reigns of power. Dhinakaran had hoped that Palaniswami would step down and pave the way for his coronation.
