CHENNAI : Just as the verdict in the case relating to the disqualification of 18 AIADMK MLAs is expected anytime, ‘resort politics’ returns to Tamil Nadu as the three sitting MLAs, who are supporting TTV Dhinakaran, as well as the disqualified MLAs, chose to take shelter at a resort in Courtallam, the spa of South India, located in Tirunelveli for a few days.
The reports about Dhinakaran asking the sitting and disqualified MLAs to stay in one place until the verdict is out started doing the rounds just after Dhinakaran called on his aunt VK Sasikala at Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru and held discussions.
While P Vetrivel, one of the disqualified MLAs, said there was no instruction from Dhinakaran to stay at one place but some of the MLAs are going to some place but he chose to be in Chennai.
Meanwhile, Thanga Thamizh Selvan, another disqualified MLA, said he and others were going to take part in Thamirabarani Pushkaram to take a holy dip and later stay at Courtallam for a couple of days.
Last year, on August 22, 19 MLAs supporting Dhinakaran met the then Governor Vidyasagar Rao and submitted individual letters withdrawing their support to the government headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami. Just after that, all of them moved to a resort in Puducherry. Later, they were moved to a resort in Kodagu district in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal on September 18 last disqualified 18 MLAs except STK Jakkaiyan, who had withdrawn his letter to the Governor. Following this, the hearing on the petitions filed by the disqualified MLAs began and on June 14, the Madras High Court gave a split verdict with the then Chief Justice Indira Banerjee upholding the disqualification while another judge setting the disqualification order aside. Later, the case was referred to third judge Justice M Satyanarayana as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
The judge is expected to deliver his judgment within a few days. When O Panneerselvam, after quitting the office of Chief Minister in February, 2016, revolted against Sasikala, all MLAs supporting her were kept at a resort in Kuvathoor.