Supreme Court stay a big blow to AIADMK, says Stalin

Coimbatore: DMK president M K Stalin described the Supreme Court stay on the disqualification proceedings against two AIADMK MLAs as a big blow to the ruling party in Tamil Nadu.

The AIADMK would not be able to save its government in Tamil Nadu following the apex court stay, Stalin said while campaigning for party candidate Pongalur N Palanisamy contesting from the Sulur assembly segment.

Stalin claimed that numbers would favour DMK after the results of byelections to 22 seats were declared on May 23 and his party would form the government in the State.

The ruling party, in order to save the government, petitioned the Assembly Speaker to disqualify the three MLAs on the pretext that they were supporting the AMMK, Stalin said and termed the apex court stay as a big blow to the AIADMK.

The DMK and MDMK have opposed any possible disqualification of the three MLAs claiming the AIADMK move was "only to protect" the Palaniswami government as it will 'lose' majority after the outcome of bypolls to 22 assembly seats.

On April 30, A Prabhu (Kallakurichi), V T Kalaiselvan (Vriddhachalam) and E Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) were served notices by Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, seeking an explanation for allegedly siding with Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran.

Kalaiselvan and Rathinasabapathy had approached the apex court challenging the notice served to them.

The Supreme Court Monday stayed disqualification proceedings against two AIADMK MLAs who were served notice by the Assembly Speaker for allegedly indulging in "anti-party" activities.

Bylections for 18 assembly constituencies that fell vacant following disqualification of legislators loyal to Dhinakaran were held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

The 18 were disqualified for revolting against Chief Minister K Palaniswami in August 2017 after he merged the faction led by him with the group headed by then rebel leader O Panneerselvam, now the state deputy chief minister.

The Election Commission (EC) subsquently announced by-elections for four more assembly constituencies -- Sulur, Ottapidaram, Aravakurichi and Thiruparankundram, on May 19.

In the 234-member state assembly with 22 vacancies, the AIADMK has a strength of 113, excluding the speaker.