In what can be called a new twist to the political tale of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the 18 MLAs, who had been backing the sidelined party leader, T.T.V. Dinakaran, have been disqualified by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker, P. Dhanapal.
The MLAs have been disqualified with effect from today, under the 1986 Tamil Nadu Assembly Members Party Defection Law.
The disqualified MLAs include Thanga Tamilselvan, Senthil Balaji, P. Vetrivel and K. Mariappan.
The Dinakaran faction had earlier met the officials from the Election Commission and requested them to declare the recently-conducted general council meeting of the party null and void.
Vijila Sathyananth, of the Dinakaran faction, told the media here that the faction would soon hold a general council meet of the party after the consent of their general secretary - V.K. Sasikala.
The faction also moved the Madras High Court on plea over a floor test in the Tamil Nadu assembly.
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The AIADMK, in its general council meeting, had passed a resolution, according to which jailed party general secretary V.K. Sasikala stood expelled from the party and the post of the temporary general secretary forfeited.
The resolution further said that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, E. Palanisamy and his deputy, O. Panneerselvam, shall retrieve the party and its symbol.
Other terms of the resolution state that all announcements by T.T.V. Dinakaran stand cancelled.
Tamil Nadu's leader of opposition M.K. Stalin also said that he had moved the Madras High Court because Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao did not take due cognisance of his request of conducting a floor test in state assembly.
Stalin said he had asserted earlier that he will approach the court if Rao fails to address his concerns.
The DMK leader demanded an immediate floor test from the Governor.