Chennai

Official sources said the Speaker issued notices to A Prabhu (Kallakurichi), VT Kalaiselvan (Vriddhachalam)and E Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) based on the petition filed by Chief Government Whip S Rajendran seeking “due legal action” against them.

The three MLAs have been given a week’s time to respond. The sources did not elaborate on the contents of the notice, but hinted explanation had been sought from the three legislators in the backdrop of them publicly hobnobbing with Dhinakaran, who has floated the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam after he was sidelined by the AIADMK.

However, the three MLAs have been maintaining for long that they were in the AIADMK only. Rajendran had on April 26 approached Dhanapal for “due legal action” against the three MLAs for alleged anti-party activities in the backdrop of them siding with Dhinakaran, general secretary of AMMK.

The move has sparked speculation about another round of disqualification of the ruling party legislators after Dhanapal had stripped 18 pro-Dhinakaran AIADMK MLAs of their Assembly membership in September 2017 under the anti-defection law.

The 18 were disqualified for revolting against Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in August 2017 after he merged the faction led by him with the group headed by then rebel leader O Panneerselvam, now the state Deputy Chief Minister.

Rajendran has said he has attached “photo proof” of the “anti-party” activities of the MLAs. These include “holding Positions” and records of events they had participated, apparently related to the AMMK.

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