DMK warns of no-confidence motion if Speaker disqualifies 3 ‘rebel’ MLAs

On a day of dramatic developments in the State, just hours after government Chief Whip S Rajendran submitted his recommendation to Dhanapal seeking action against three AIADMK MLAs E Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi), VT Kalaiselvan (Vridhachalam) and A Prabhu (Kallakurichi), for allegedly supporting AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran during the Lok Sabha and Assembly election campaign, the Opposition DMK warned of moving the no-confidence motion against Dhanapal if he disqualified the three rebel MLAs.

“Fearing defeat in the 18 by-polls as well as in the four by-elections to be held soon, AIADMK law minister CV Shanmugam and Chief Whip Rajendran have submitted a memo to the Speaker. This is against the law,” DMK president MK Stalin said. The DMK leader also alleged that the AIADMK initiating action against the three rebel MLAs came on the day Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi. “For the speaker Dhanapal, all MLAs in the House are equal. He (Speaker) should act according to the law as per the ruling of the Supreme Court,” Stalin said.

Alleging that the AIADMK, with the Centre’s help, had dragged the by-elections for the past 18 months, Stalin alleged even the Governor was involved in this.

Earlier in the day, in his complaint to Dhanapal, Rajendran also alleged that the three MLAs were involved in anti-party activities. Addressing the media, Rajendran said, “I have attached proof of the three MLAs’ anti-party activities in my complaint. The Speaker will take legal action against them.” When asked whether action would be taken on the Nagapattinam MLA Thameemun Ansari who had recently extended support to the DMK, he replied in the negative.

Meanwhile, a Secretariat source said, “The Speaker will issue notice to the three MLAs with questions on why they should not be disqualified and a specific time period will be given for them to reply. If the Speaker is not satisfied with their response or if he does not receive any reply, he will disqualify them.”

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111

Total MLAs, if 3 MLAs are disqualified: 209

Required minimum number of MLAs to prove majority: 105

There are three rebel MLAs in AIADMK- Tameemun Ansari, Karunas and Thaniarasu

If they are left out, total MLAs withAIADMK: 108