Chennai, June 9:
Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J. C. D. Prabhakar on Tuesday announced that no disqualification action will be taken against 21 AIADMK MLAs who had extended support to the ruling party.
Addressing reporters, the Speaker said that a petition had initially been submitted by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami seeking disqualification of 25 MLAs.
He noted that Palaniswami had sent four separate letters regarding the issue, all of which were carefully examined in accordance with Assembly rules before arriving at a decision.
Prabhakar explained that the decision not to proceed with disqualification was taken after the AIADMK leadership conveyed its position.
He pointed out that Palaniswami had written to the Assembly expressing that the 21 MLAs should be pardoned, which influenced the final outcome.
However, the Speaker clarified that action has been initiated against four AIADMK MLAs—Perundurai Jayakumar, Maragatham Kumaravel, Isakki Subbiah, and Sathyabama—for allegedly violating the party whip during voting.
He stated that these cases are under review and a final announcement will be made once the inquiry process is completed.
He further stated that the Assembly Secretariat had strictly adhered to procedural norms and constitutional provisions while examining the petitions.
The Speaker emphasised that decisions on disqualification are taken based on documentary evidence, party communications, and the provisions of the anti-defection law.
The announcement is expected to have political implications within the AIADMK, as the leadership’s move to pardon a majority of MLAs signals an attempt to maintain unity within the party, while limiting disciplinary action to a smaller group facing specific allegations.