CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar, on Tuesday, ruled out that no disqualification proceedings would be initiated against the 21 AIADMK MLAs who voted in favour of the TVK government on May 13.
The Speaker, at a press conference in the State secretariat, said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had requested that he not proceed with petitions seeking the legislators' disqualification for defying the party whip.
The Speaker said Palaniswami informed him that he had condoned the MLAs' action under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution.
Stating that the AIADMK general secretary has also requested him to disqualify four MLAs who voted in favour of the TVK government, the Speaker said these representations were under his consideration and will take a decision in accordance with the rules.
Asked whether he has decided on who the leader of the AIADMK legislature party might be, the Speaker said, “No such representation has been given to me, and as such, that question does not arise now.”