SALEM: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday wondered why the DMK has submitted a motion seeking removal of Speaker P Dhanapal if it was confident of emerging victorious in bypolls to 22 Assembly constituencies in the State.
Referring to DMK submitting a resolution seeking removal of Speaker P Dhanapal after he sent notices to three AIADMK MLAs seeking their explanation over "anti-party" activities, Palaniswami said it was due to fear of defeat at the hustings.
Stalin has been claiming that his party would win in bypolls to all the 22 Assembly seats, he pointed out and wondered the rationale behind bringing a motion seeking Speaker's removal if the DMK was to win all the seats.
Palanisami said that if the DMK wins all the 22 seats, the main opposition party would automatically get majority in the House. "They are gripped by fear of defeat at the hustings, and since they cannot win 22 Assembly seats, they have brought the no confidence motion against the Speaker," he said. "You are not confident (of victory) and that is why you are bringing the no confidence motion (against the Speaker)," the Chief Minister said to the state opposition party. He exuded confidence that the AIADMK candidates would bag victory in bypolls to all the 22 Assembly seats.
Of the 22 seats, bypolls were held to 18 of them on April 18 and four more would witness by-elections on May 19 and counting of votes would be held on May 23.
Palaniswami sought to know why the DMK wanted Speaker's removal immediately after Speaker sent notices to his party MLAs. On April 30, Speaker P Dhanapal issued notices to A Prabhu (Kallakurichi), VT Kalaiselvan (Vriddhachalam) and E Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) all belonging to the AIADMK for siding with Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam led by TTV Dhinakaran.
The notices were sent seeking their explanation based on a complaint by government whip S Rajendran seeking "due legal action" against the trio under the anti-defection law for alleged anti-party activities.
The Chief Minister recalled that since the three AIADMK MLAs acted against the party interests, the government whip submitted a complaint against them to Speaker P Dhanapal. "As soon as the complaint was given, DMK moved a motion seeking removal of the Speaker," he said adding this has exposed the links between these MLAs, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and the DMK.
He also wanted to know why the DMK should be provoked if explanation was sought from AIADMK MLAs for alleged anti-party activities. "The conspiracy by the DMK chief to break up the AIADMK and dislodge our government has been exposed," he said. The AIADMK leader also took a jibe at Stalin for "adopting different strategies," like walking up to the people in public places to seek votes "which was not done before," due to fear of defeat in the elections.