NEW DELHI — The Madras High Court in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Thursday (October 25) upheld the disqualification of 18 lawmakers from the state’s lawmaking body, Xinhua news agency quoted officials as saying.
According to an official, the Madras High Court upheld the Tamil Nadu Speaker’s decision to disqualify the 18 rebel AIADMK lawmakers.
“With the judgement, 18 rebel lawmakers of the ruling AIADMK stand disqualified.”
The AIADMK refers to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Officials said with the disqualification, the 18 lawmakers who are loyal to ousted party leader V. K. Sasikala and her nephew, TTV Dhinakaran were no longer members of the Tamil Nadu lawmaking body.
The order came as a big relief to the E. Palaniswami government.
“To fill these seats now, by-elections are likely to be held,” a political analyst said.
AIAMK welcomed the court verdict and said the order was a victory of democracy and was a “correct lesson for the traitors.”
However, the leader of the disqualified lawmakers, Dhinakaran said he would discuss the next course of action with the lawmakers.
“I will discuss the verdict with my lawmakers and then decide. If they want to challenge the verdict, we will go to the Supreme Court but if they want to go for elections, we will also be ready for it,” Dinakaran told the media.
The lawmakers were disqualified by the Speaker last year after invoking the anti-defection law when they wrote to the governor seeking the removal of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
Following death of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa last year, the party witnessed factionalism.
— BERNAMA
