The Legislators have been staying at Paddington Resorts in Kodagu

Chennai: In what can be called as a new twist to the political tale of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the 18 MLAs, who had been backing the sidelined party leader, T.T.V. Dinakaran, have been disqualified by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, this morning.

The MLAs have been disqualified with effect from today, under the 1986 Tamil Nadu Assembly Members Party Defection Law. The disqualified MLAs include Thanga Tamilselvan, Senthil Balaji, P. Vetrivel and K. Mariappan.

The Dinakaran faction had earlier met the officials from the Election Commission and requested them to declare the recently-conducted general council meeting of the party null and void.

The faction also moved the Madras High Court on plea over a floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.  

The AIADMK, in its general council meeting, had passed a resolution, according to which jailed party General Secretary V.K. Sasikala stood expelled from the party and the post of the temporary General Secretary forfeited.

The resolution further said that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E. Palanisamy and his Deputy O. Panneerselvam shall retrieve the party and its symbol. Other terms of the resolution state that all announcements by T.T.V. Dinakaran stand cancelled.

Tamil Nadu’s Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin also said that he had moved the Madras High Court because Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao did not take due cognisance of his request of conducting a floor test in State Assembly. Stalin said he had asserted earlier that he will approach the Court if Governor Rao fails to address his concerns. The DMK leader demanded an immediate floor test from the Governor.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK Karnataka General Secretary Pugalendi has filed a complaint with the Madikeri Police against the alleged Police atrocities on the 18 rebel MLAs who have been staying at the   Paddington Resort in Somwarpet, Kodagu, for the past 10 days.

The Police are said to have stopped eight MLAs, who were heading back to the resort from Abbey Falls on the pretext of questioning them.

The MLAs have said that the Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami was using the Police to threaten them.