Assembly puts MLAs’ disciplinary proceedings on hold after SC stay 

AIADMK legislators E Rathinasabhapathy, VT Kalaiselvan and A Prabhu were servednotices under the anti-defection law for owing their allegiance to AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran. Based on a petition moved by two AIADMK MLAs, the apex court bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Deepak Gupta stayed the proceedings by the Assembly Speaker.

“Assembly officials have asked me to put the reply letter on hold,” rebel MLA Prabhu representing Kallaukurichi Assembly seat said on Tuesday.

The Assembly officials have asked me to put the reply letter on hold when I insisted foradditional time to submit a detailed communique,Prabhu added.

Meanwhile, the AMMK had converted the Supreme Court’s interim order into a poll issue stating that it was a victory for justice. “The court had stayed the Speaker’s action and by this month end when the votes are counted the AIADMK government will fall,” AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran said during his campaign trail in Sulur, where bypoll is scheduled on May 19 along with three Assembly constituencies. The AIADMK is trying to disqualify a few MLAs so that they can continue to rule, Dhinakaran said that his party would bring down the AIADMK government shortly.

Reacting on the issue, state BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan said that both the DMK and the AMMK has been talking about regime change in TN. The BJP – AIADMK alliance will win the bypolls and the recent stay order by the court is a temporary order, she said. To a query that AMMK is campaigning against the AIADMK stating that the ruling party has mortgaged itself to the BJP, Tamilisai said what else you can expect from the Opposition. The BJP and the AIADMK are leading by example on how an alliance should work, she noted.