Ex- MLA decides to withdraw plea in HC against disqualification

A former AIADMK MLA disqualified along with 17 others for rebelling against ChiefMinister K Palaniswami last year, has decided to withdraw his plea from the high court against his disqualification.Announcing his decision to withdraw the plea, Thanga Tamilselvan said he now prefers to face bypoll to his Andipatti constituency.The VK Sasikala's loyalist announced his decision following a recent split verdict of the Madras High court ondisqualifications, with the matter now being referred to a third judge.The former legislator said his decision was prompted by the fact that his constituency has been left with no representative for nearly past 10 months."We (18 MLAs) lost our post for no mistake of ours... I am not able to go to the constituency. There are a lot of people's issues to be highlighted in the Assembly. I am ready to perform the democratic duties in the House. And I am ready to face bypoll," he said.Tamilselvan, a TTV Dhinakaran's supporter, is one of the 18 MLAs, who was disqualified by Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal last year following their revolt against the chief minister.A day after the factions led by Palaniswami and erstwhilerebel leader but now Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam merged on August 21, MLAs owing allegiance to Dhinakaran met the then Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, seeking the chief minister's ouster.They had then said they lost confidence in Palaniswami as chief minister.Dhanapal later disqualified them under anti-defection and disqualification rules of 1986 framed in accordance with the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.Responding to Tamilselvan's announcement, senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar resorted to two different Tamil sayings and sought to know whether the opposition camp was testing the waters or was it a signal of problems in the Dhinakaran camp.However, AMMK founder Dhinakaran insisted all was well between him and his supporters.He said Tamilselvan had consulted him on the matter."He is free to take a decision as they (all disqualified MLAs) became legislators because of Amma (the late J Jayalalithaa). The others want to fight the case legally. All of them are with us (in his camp) and even he never said he was walking away," Dhinakaran said.He said there was nothing wrong with his supporter's proposal and added that politically it would give them an opportunity to once again challenge the AIADMK.Hinting that Tamilselvan could be fielded as an AMMK candidate if at all there was a by-poll, Dhinakaran said, "We can once again fight those who betrayed us.""We can prove we are Amma's true supporters and heirs for the party's Two-Leaves symbol," he said, apparently referring to his own thumping win in the RK Nagar bypoll here in December 2017 where he defeated the ruling party candidate."There is no need for reading in between the lines," he said on Tamilselvan's announcement which was widely being debated in political circles.On June 14, the Madras High Court delivered a split verdict on the petitions challenging disqualification of 18 AIADMK legislators loyal to Dhinakaran.In the keenly-awaited judgement, Chief Justice Indira Banerjee upheld the September 18 order of Speaker Dhanapal disqualifying the MLAs, while Justice M Sundar disagreed with her and struck it down.The senior-most judge after her will decide the third judge who would hear the matter afresh, Justice Banerjee had said.

Ex- MLA decides to withdraw plea in HC against disqualification

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