Madras High Court to pronounce verdict in AIADMK 6 MLAs resignation case, Speaker's order under scrutiny

Madras High Court will pronounce its verdict on Friday in cases challenging the Speaker's order accepting the resignations of six All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs.

Madras High Court will pronounce its verdict on Friday in cases challenging the Speaker's order accepting the resignations of six All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs. The disqualification proceedings are pending against six MLAs, including Maragatham Kumaravel, P Sathyabama, Isakki Subbiah, Jayakumar, MR Vijayabhaskar and C Vijayabaskar for voting in support of the TVK government in violation of the whip.

Earlier, Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar accepted the resignations of the six AIADMK MLAs. In this backdrop, AIADMK Whip Agri Krishnamurthy and National People's Power Party leader Ravi had filed cases seeking to quash the Speaker's order accepting their resignations. The Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arulmurugan heard the cases.

The Petitioners alleged the Speaker conducted no meaningful inquiry and also pointed to a complaint made to the Governor regarding horse-trading. On the other side, the resigned MLAs argued that resigning and joining another party is democratic politics. The Assembly Secretary's side submitted that if MLAs give a resignation letter voluntarily, the Speaker cannot refuse to accept it.

After hearing all sides, judges had reserved verdict, to be pronounced this morning. It is notable that the verdict comes on the same day when results of Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls are to be declared. Meanwhile, counting has begun in Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu on Friday under tight security. The two seats fell vacant following the resignations of Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama.

Polling was held in these Assembly constituencies on October 6 from 7 am to 6 pm across 285 polling stations, with 2,13,788 registered voters in the constituencies. A total of 27 candidates contested the by-election. In Madurantakam, TVK's Maragatham Kumaravel faced DMK's Paranthaman, AIADMK's Kanitha Sampath, CPM's Suganthi and NTK's Janakiraman among 28 candidates in the fray.

In Dharapuram, TVK's P Sathyabama was pitted against DMK's Suganya, AIADMK's Banumathi, CPI's Lakshmanan and NTK's Karthika. (ANI)