AIADMK party whip recommends Speaker to disqualify rebel MLAs

CHENNAI: The standoff between rebelling legislators allying with TTV Dhinakaran and the ruling AIADMK combine took a confrontational turn on Thursday afternoon with the party whip S Rajendran recommending to the Legislative Assembly Speaker that he disqualify the MLAs.

Speaking to the reporters at the state secretariat, Rajendran said that on the basis of the anti-defection law, and the legislators' having acted against the interests of the party, he had petitioned the Speaker recommending that they be "disqualified."

Reacting quickly, lawmakers secured in Pondicherry told ET off the record that "the threat of disqualification does not make them soften their stance that they are withdrawing their support to the EPS."

Speaking to reporters, lawmaker P Vetrivel, said: "We see this a threat. They should be aware of the Supreme Court verdict in the episode witnessed in the government of BS Yeddyurappa."

Vetrivel clarified that the target of this rebellion still remains that Edappadi K Palaniswami be removed from the post of chief minister and Panneerselvam explain why he chose to align with politicians he termed corrupt just weeks back. Lawmaker Thanga Tamilselvan, while speaking to reporters from outside the resort, prided the efforts of his camp to pull out 19 legislators in one shot: "Even O Panneerselvam, a three-time chief minister was able to draw out only 10. We have 19 now."

Meanwhile, overtures from the ruling faction of the AIADMK continued to be sent across to the rebels. Taking an equivocal stance today, Perundurai MLA Thoppu Venkatachalam urged the chief minister to initiate a dialogue with those in the luxury resort; he hastened to add that he did not side with the TTV Dhinakaran camp solely to indicate that he did not want to destabilise the government.

As though aware of a such a move to disqualify was in the offing, the rebelling legislators had pointed out to a similar move by the speaker of Karnataka when the then chief minister BS Yeddyurappa sought to disqualify legislators. The Supreme Court eventually overturned the disqualification, reversing a high court order, too, which upheld the move.