Chennai, Oct 27:
The AIADMK has submitted additional documents to Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar as part of its effort to seek the disqualification of six former party MLAs who resigned from the Assembly and subsequently joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The documents were submitted by AIADMK MLAs SS Agri Krishnamurthy, AP Jayasankaran and G Venkatachalam. An Assembly official said the material would be forwarded to the six legislators, whose replies would be sought before further consideration of the matter.
The disqualification petitions were filed by AIADMK whip Agri Krishnamurthy and Ravi of the National People’s Power Party. They have sought to challenge the Speaker’s orders accepting the resignations of the six MLAs.
The issue has already been examined by the Madras High Court, which upheld the Speaker’s decision to accept the resignations. A Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan held that the resignations were genuine and observed that the Speaker was not required to conduct a detailed inquiry into the resignation process.
The six legislators had quit the AIADMK after the Assembly elections and joined the TVK, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. The AIADMK’s latest submission is part of the continuing proceedings over the consequences of their resignation and the party’s demand for disqualification.
The Speaker will seek the legislators’ responses to the additional material before proceeding further. The submission of documents does not by itself determine the outcome of the disqualification petitions.