Eight of the 18 pro-Dhinakaran MLAs disqualified by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker on Tuesday moved the Madras High Court challenging the action against them under the anti-defection law.
In their individual petitions, they assailed Monday's order of Speaker P Dhanapal disqualifying them as MLAs as 'unauthorised' and 'illegal'.
The petitioners sought to forbear Dhanapal, Government Chief Whip S Rajendran, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and the Assembly Secretary from interfering with their right as elected representatives.
Acting on a plea by Rajendran, the Speaker had yesterday disqualified 18 MLAs, loyal to sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, under the assembly anti-defection and disqualification rules