HC dismisses pleas for disqualifying O Panneerselvam, 10 AIADMK MLAs

The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a petition by DMK seeking disqualification of Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and 10 other AIADMK MLAs for having voted against the Palaniswami government last year when they were in the rebel camp.

A bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose dismissed the petition by DMK whip Sakkarapani, citing the pendency of a petition in the Supreme Court on the powers of court to issue directions to the Speaker of an assembly.

The question whether a writ of mandamus can be issued to the Assembly Speaker was pending with the Supreme Court, which bars the high court from interfering in such actions of the Speaker, the bench said.

It was also dismissing a petition by four disqualified MLAs loyal to AMMK leader TTVDh in aka ran seeking a direction to the Assembly Speaker to disqualify Panneerselvam and others as members of the assembly.

The petitioners had contended that by voting against the trust motion these MLAs had violated the whip issued by the ruling party and hence attracted disqualification under the anti-defection law.

Panneerselvam and other MLAs, who had then revolted against the AIADMK leadership, voted against the trust vote sought by Chief Minister K Palaniswami on February 18, 2017.

Palaniswami eventually won the vote by a margin of 122-11 in the 234-member House.–PTI