Will move court to vacate stay: Jayakumar

Responding to the disqualification notice served by Speaker P Dhanapal against three AIADMK MLAs, Jayakumar justified the act of Speaker stating that there was adequate evidence against the three MLAs.

“DMK has moved the Speaker’s office seeking no-confidence motion at the same time the AMMK has instigated a few MLAs to go to the Supreme Court. This is an interim order and the AIADMK would certainly move the court seeking withdrawal of stay order. Party whip S Rajendran has submitted a complaint letter of 182 pages packed with evidence,” he added.

Jayakumar said that the MLAs showing allegiance to AMMK are not clear on their stand and it is visible that both the DMK and the AMMK wants to topple the government. “AMMK is an opportunistic party and even without BJP request, AMMK supported the BJP in Presidential elections. There were days where AMMK longed for BJP support. The public are watching the political dramas staged by both AMMK and DMK,” the Minister said.

While the Opposition is focussed on politics, the government is attending to the drought. To meet the drinking water shortage in Chennai, the Veeranam lake is filled with Mettur water and the summer water shortage will be handled well by the AIADMK government, Jayakumar added.

Meanwhile, the AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran said that the Lok Sabha elections result and the results of 22 Assembly seats will be a death knell for the AIADMK and the BJP governments in state and Centre. “Anticipating trouble for the government the AIADMK has instigated the Speaker to take hasty decisions against its own MLAs,” said Dhinakaran denying the charges of the AIADMK that AMMK and DMK are in a pact to topple the government.

“AMMK cadre are followers of Amma and the basic DNA of our cadre is to decimate the Opposition DMK,” Dhinakaran said. Just a few more days are left and after this elections, the political career of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will come to an end,” Dhinakaran told reporters.

Meanwhile, DMK spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member RS Bharathi also welcomed the interim stay of the apex court and termed the development as a setback for the ruling AIADMK.

The AIADMK at the time of formation of a government by Jayalalithaa in 2016 had 136 seats and is now short of four MLAs to prove the simple majority of 118 in the state Assembly that comprises 234 seats. With results to 22 Assembly seats is due on May 23, the D-day has attained greater political significance for the ruling and the Opposition parties. If DMK wins all 22 seats, they will go to 119 and will form thegovernment. So, AIADMK must win at least 8 seats to ensure that their rule continues until 2021.