Madras HC rules disqualification of 18 rebel AIADMK lawmakers; by-elections to be held
Chennai, Oct 25 (IBNS): In a big win for the Tamil Nadu government, the Madras High Court on Thursday ruled disqualification of 18 rebel AIADMK lawmakers, media reports said.
Following the court ruling, the disqualified MLAs, who are loyal to ousted party leader VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran, will no longer remain lawmakers making by-elections in the respective seats necessary.
Last year, Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal disqualified 18 MLAs after they had sought removal of Chief Minister E Palaniswamy.
However Dinakaran, who was looking to establish his control over the state government, said the court verdict, which upheld Assembly Speaker's disqualification, will not impact him and his loyalists.
"If by-elections are held, we will win" Dinakaran has been quoted by NDTV.
By-elections will be held in 20 seats, including the two which had fallen vacant after deaths of the sitting MLAs.
Following the death of then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2016, Sasikala, a long-term aide of the former, tried to assume the post. However, she failed to become the Chief Minister as she was jailed over disproportionate assets case.
Sasikala's nephew Dinakaran was sidelined after Chief Minister Palaniswamy buried his rift with E Palaniswamy, who had once opposed the current Chief Minister by forming his own faction.
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