While Dhinakaran said his MLAs will approach the court challenging their disqualification that came as a setback to his camp in the tussle for power in the ruling party, the opposition led by the DMK dubbed the Speaker's action as a "murder of democracy".
The opposition alleged that the action was an attempt aimed at ensuring majority in the assembly with the DMK demanding the resignation of Chief Minister K Palaniswami and the Speaker.
The action by Speaker P Dhanapal against the MLAs, who have been seeking the ouster of Palaniswami, has reduced the effective strength of the Assembly from 234 to 215, by also taking into account a pre-existing vacancy.
Subject to any intervention by the court, the government would now need the support of 108 MLAs--the half-way mark-- for a simple majority in the event of a floor test, a demand by the opposition parties.
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After a meeting of AIADMK legislators convened by Palaniswami on September 5, senior leader and Minister D Jayakumar had claimed that 111 of the 134 party MLAs reposed faith in the chief minister.
Today's decision by Dhanapal was taken under the assembly anti-defection and disqualification rules of 1986 formed in accordance with the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, Assembly Secretary K Bhoopathy said in a statement.
The Speaker was acting on a petition submitted by the Government Chief Whip last month seeking disqualification of 19 MLAs after they met Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and withdrew their support to the chief minister last month. Governor Rao, meanwhile, met President Ram Nath Kovind in Delhi.
After the proceedings were initiated, MLA SKT Jakkaiyan had switched over to Palaniswami camp.
Of the three MLAs who are allies of AIADMK, S Karunas has extended support to Dhinakaran. The stand of two others U Thaniyarasu (Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaignar Peravai) and M Thamimun Ansari (Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi) is not known.
The pro-Dhinakaran MLAs had met the Governor on August 22 a day after the formal merger of the two factions led by Palaniswami and then rebel leader and now Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
Though the Speaker had issued notices to all the dissident MLAs seeking their individual presence, they had, however, not turned up.
The disqualification proceedings also echoed in the Madras High Court last week when it stayed the conduct of a floor test till September 20.
The interim order was passed on Sept 14 on petitions by DMK and one of the rebel MLAs, who had apprehended the Speaker might disqualify the legislators.
They had contended that this may go in favour of the chief minister in case of a floor test.
Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, described the disqualification as "a brutal murder of democracy."
He said the Speaker "has lost the moral right to continue in his office," and sought his "immediate resignation."
He demanded Palaniswami quit office on his own for allegedly trying to hold a floor test through "horse-trading," and "illegal disqualification."
In a statement, the DMK leader alleged the government was not in a position to prove its majority and the present action was a "short-cut" towards achieving it.
Stalin claimed that the present disqualification went against the anti-defection law and a verdict of the Supreme Court, citing the case involving former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.