TN state bypolls to be a litmus test for AIADMK
CHENNAI: By-elections to 18 Tamil Nadu assembly seats that will be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls in the state is likely to be crucial for the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government, which enjoys a wafer-thin majority in the assembly.
Twenty one seats in the southern state are vacant after 18 MLAs were disqualified in 2017, two died and another was disqualified in a riot case. “As cases are pending before the Madras High Court (MHC), the EC will not conduct by-elections for Ottappidaram, Aravakkurichi and Thirupparankundram seats. However, the by-polls will be conducted for the remaining 18 seats,” said state chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahu.
The 18 seats are part of the 74 assembly seats across India that will go for bypolls along with the Lok Sabha elections, declared the Election Commission on Sunday. The seats -- Pappireddypatti, Andipatti, Perambur, Vilathikkulam, Sattur, Sholingur, Nilakkottai, Manamadurai,Ambur, Poonamallae, Paramakkudi, Harur, Periyakulam, Thirupporur, Thanjavur, Gudiyattam, Tiruvarur, and Hosur – will go to the polls on April 18.
Tamil Nadu’s assembly has 234 members but the current strength of the house is 213. The AIADMK has 114 MLAs, excluding the speaker, but two lawmakers -- A Prabhu ( Kallakurichi) and Rathina Sababathi (Aranthangi) – have recently extended support to rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran, who has
IN SEPTEMBER 2017, 18 ASSEMBLY SEATS FELL VACANT AFTER SPEAKER P DHANAPAL DISQUALIFIED MLAS WHO OWED ALLEGIANCE TO DHINAKARAN
launched his own outfit Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) last year. This means the AIADMK has 112 MLAs.
The main opposition party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has 88 MLAs. Its partners Congress and Indian Union Muslim League have eight and one members, respectively, in the house. Therefore the opposition has 97 MLAs in support.
If the DMK-Congress combine makes a clean sweep in these 18 assembly seats, then its strength in the House will go up to 115 – still not a majority in a house of 231 members ( three assembly seats will continue to remain vacant). If Dhinakaran supports this front, then it will reach 118, slightly above the majority mark of 116.
In September 2017, 18 assembly seats fell vacant after speaker P Dhanapal disqualified MLAs who owed allegiance to Dhinakaran. When the disqualified MLAs challenged the Speaker’s decision, the Madras high court upheld the speaker’s decision.
While actor Rajinikanth has ruled out fighting in the bypolls, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has not cleared his stance about the bypolls.
DMDK IN ALLIANCE WITH AIADMK
Hours after the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha poll dates, the AIADMK finalised a poll pact with actor Vijayakanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMDK) ending weeks of negotiations.
According to O Panneerselvam, the deputy chief minister and AIADMK co-ordinator, the DMDK will contest in four seats.
“The DMDK will also support our party in the upcoming 21 vacant assembly seats’ by-elections. As the EC announced by-polls for 18 vacant assembly seats now, the DMDK will support us,” he said.
The other major members in the AIADMK alliance are the BJP, which will fight five seats and the Pattali Makkal Katchi, which is fighting seven seats.
The AIADMK-led alliance already has the BJP, PMK, Puthiya Tamizhagam and AINRC as its members. It has alloted seven seats to PMK, five to the BJP and one to Dalit-based Puthiya Tamizhagam in the state and the lone Puducherry seat to AINRC.
The DMDK treasurer Premalatha Vijayakanth said the alliance with the AIADMK and BJP will continue in the upcoming assembly bypolls and local body elections. “For LS polls, the DMDK will contest from four LS seats under the AIADMK - BJP alliance. We will also support the AIADMK in the upcoming by-polls for the 21 vacant assembly seats as well as in the Local Body elections,” Premalatha said.