18 rebel MLAs move to another hotel in Pondy

The legislators, who were brought to Puducherry, were staying at the “Wind Flower” private resort at Chinnaveerampatinam. Former AIADMK legislator Om Sakthi Sekhar and his supporters objected to their stay in Puducherry, citing law and order problem and asked the administration to evict them from the Union Territory. Sekhar had written letters to the District Collector and Senior Superintendent of Police in this regard on Thursday, which resulted in Tahsildar Dayalan and SSP visiting the resort and inquiring with them. The resort management also asked the MLAs to vacate the premises as they have got online bookings from Friday for the long weekend.

Following this, the MLAs searched for another accommodation and approached ‘Sunway” hotel. Anticipating trouble, the hotel management initially denied accommodation to them. However, AIADMK Puducherry legislator Bhaskar intervened and arranged accommodation for them at “Sunway” hotel. Andippatti MLA Thangatamilselvan told newspersons that they were shifting to another hotel, since the present resort is having online booking from Friday. All the 18 are going together.

Asked about Dinakaran, he said, “He will certainly come here and only after holding talks with him we will leave Puducherry.”

On the Tamil Nadu government whip requesting Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal to initiate action against the legislators and disqualify them, Tamilselvan said 35 DMK legislators had damaged the Speaker’s chair in the Assembly, legislators supporting O Panneerselvam had voted against the government and no action was taken against these legislators. “As far as we are concerned, we only asked for a change in the leadership,” he said adding that they will face it legally.

TTV Dinakaran’s supporter Nanjil Sampath on Friday blamed the government for abusing its power by shunting out a police official besides inciting the locals against a party legislator. Another supporter MLA E Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) claimed that they have the backing of at least 50 legislators. Sampath cited the shunting out of V Mahesh, SP, Thanjavur district, for providing protection to a reception accorded for a newly appointed office-bearer Sekar, as proof for his claim. He also charged the state to have orchestrated an attack at the residence of MLA TA Elumalai (Poonamallee), who is now staying with other TTV supporters in Puducherry. On the party whip’s recommendation to disqualify the dissident MLAs for withdrawing their support to the CM, Rathinasabapathy observed that the legislators have only sought to change the Chief Minister. “What did they do to the lot led by (Deputy CM) O Panneerselvam, who abstained from voting in the confidence vote despite a whip?“ he wondered. MLA P Vetrivel (Perambur) dismissed the efforts to disqualify as a mere scare tactics besides asserting it as invalid in the light of a SC directive.