The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu on Thursday hailed the Madras High Court’s verdict upholding the disqualification of 18 rebel party MLAs saying it was a “just order” and that the K Palaniswami government has now proved its ‘stability’.
Chief Minister Palaniswani hailed the verdict and exuding confidence said that Amma’s (referring to the late J Jayalalithaa) government will win all the 18 Assembly seats if bypolls are announced on the disqualified MLAs’ plea.
Read More | Dhinakaran suffers setback as Madras HC upholds Tamil Nadu speaker's decision of disqualifying 18 AIADMK MLAs
Welcome the HC verdict. Even if bypolls are announced for the 18 assembly seats, Amma's Govt will win all of them, rest of the things the EC has to decide (sic),” said the chief minister.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman also welcomed the judgment and called it “a victory for dharma and a slap in the face of traitors, cheaters.”
AIADMK spokesperson P Valarmathi told PTI, “We are very happy... this is a just order.”
Justice M Sathyanarayanan had on Thursday upheld the June 14 order of the then Chief Justice disqualifying the 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs. The 18 MLAs were disqualified on September 18 last year under the anti-defection law after they met the governor and expressed a loss of confidence in the chief minister. The 18 disqualified MLAs are loyal to the sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, who has now formed his own party the AMMK.
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Reacting to the verdict, Dinakaran told news agency ANI, "It is not a setback for us. This is an experience, we will face the situation. The future course of action will be decided after meeting with the 18 MLAs."
"I will discuss the verdict with my MLAs and then decide. If our MLAs want to challenge the verdict, we will go to the Supreme Court but if they want to go for elections, we will also be ready for it. There is no chance we will merge with EPS-OPS. Whenever the elections will happen, we will win," said TTV Dinakaran after 18 AIADMK MLAs close to him were disqualified.
Besides the constituencies of the disqualified MLAs, the Tiruvarur and Thiruparankundram seats had fallen vacant following the death of late DMK chief M Karunanidhi and AIADMK’s AK Bose, respectively which takes the number of vacant seats to 20.
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