MLA to withdraw challenge petition, others not in sync

CHENNAI : In a fresh twist in the case of disqualification of 18 AIADMK MLAs, one of the legislators, a member of rebel TTV Dhinakaran’s party, has announced he would soon withdraw his petition from the Madras high court, whose twojudge bench on Thursday had delivered a split verdict in the matter. The disqualification by the assembly Speaker P Dhanapal was upheld by Chief Justice Indra Banerjee but set aside by Justice M Sundar.

“The Madras high court has let down the public and I have lost hope in the judiciary. I am not going to appeal as it would only drag the case and benefit the minority government,” said Thangathamizh Selvan, the propaganda secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam . “I have decided to withdraw my petition for the people of Andipatti (his constituency),” he told reporters in Chennai on Saturday.

Dhinakaran clarified to the press that Selvan’s decision was “his personal one”. “My supporters are free to take their decisions. Confident Selvan is ready to face the polls and I will not intervene,” he said. Some disqualified MLAs met him in Chennai and Coimbatore to discuss the next course of action.

Selvan’s statement has not gone down well with several disqualified MLAs. “We will collectively take a decision and wait for the third judge to decide on the case,” Dhinakaran loyalist and another disqualified legislator P Vettrivel said. “We have faced the legal hurdles and the case has reached the final stage, and we will try to convince all the MLAs to continue their legal battle.”

A legislator of the opposition DMK, who did not wish to be identified, said, “All 18 MLAs can withdraw the case and face elections In these circumstances, but again it will be DMK and AMMK (candidates) who will win the seats and bring headache for the government, which is why the HC had stayed the bypoll works.”

Meanwhile, a group of disqualified legislators met their advocates to explore the option of filing a fresh petition in the high court and the Supreme Court to prevent the case from getting dragged on for long. Following the disqualification, the government of chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami lacks the majority in the 234-member assembly.