Speaker biased in 3 MLAs’ issue, charges AMMK 

AMMK heavyweight P Vettrivel, who met the AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on the issue alleged that the action initiated against the three MLAs is against natural justice.

The ruling AIADMK is in jitters and is fearing a rout in the 22 seat bypolls, subsequently, the party has restarted its attempt to disqualify more MLAs. The AIADMK will face consequences for such undemocratic measures. There is no action against 11 MLAs, including Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who voted against the AIADMK government led by Edappadi K Palaniswami, but specific political actions are taken to ensure the survival of this government, Vettrivel said.

Vettrivel also maintained that there was no party relationship between the AMMK and the three MLAs, but if they are disqualified, the AMMK would embrace them and will also offer tickets for them to contest.

Meanwhile, confidential Secretariat sources confirmed that the Speaker has sent letters through a post seeking clarification from three MLAs Aranthangi legislator Rathinasabapathy, Virudhachalam MLA Kalaiselvan and Kallakurichi elected member A Prabhu. The MLAs will get seven days to respond and the communication must be in a written format. The Speaker will initiate action based on the response, sources added.

In a related development, the three AIADMK MLAs told reporters that they are not part of the AMMK. “I have never voted against the party and my actions inside and outside the Assembly had always been in support of the AIADMK government,” Rathinasababathy told reporters. Legislators Prabhu and Kalaiselvan maintained that they are not part of the recently formed AMMK. We are not members of any political party. All we want is the merger of AIADMK factions at the earliest,” the MLAs said.

With just three weeks remaining for the bypoll results the action against the MLAs comes as a rude shock for other fence-sitters in the AIADMK, which is on a wafer-thin margin. It may be noted that MLAs Karunas and Thamimun Ansari, who contested in ‘Two Leaves’ symbol had also aired their voices against the CM.