CHENNAI: The Madras High Court's verdict on disqualification of 18 rebel MLAs comes as a huge relief to Edappadi Palaniswami government which has been riding on a wafer-thin majority. The HC ruling on Thursday means the AIADMK government is safe for now.
The verdict also connotes that the Election Commission have to notify by-elections to the 18 constituencies that have now fallen vacant.
Justice M Sathyanarayanan, the third judge of the high court, heard the case on Thursday after a two-member HC bench had on June 14 given a split verdict on disqualification of MLAs by the assembly Speaker. The 18 MLAs of the ruling AIADMK had shifted their loyalties to the rebel party leader TTV Dhinakaran who is now an independent MLA.
This verdict also means the strength of the Tamil Nadu assembly would fall to 214 from 234. Two of the seats fell vacant due to demise of the MLAs, including DMK leader M Karunanidhi.
While the simple majority needed in the present house is 108, Palaniswami government has 109 party MLAs who are supporting him. He can easily sail through a floor test in the house.
The actual strength of the ruling party in the house is 116, including three independent candidates who contested and won in the AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol. But four of the party MLAs have been openly expressing their support to the rebel leader Dhinakaran and the two of three independent MLAs have not made their stance clear. One of them, Karunas, has been vocal in his opposition to the ruling regime, especially after his recent arrest for defamatory statements against the chief minister.
But the life of the ruling regime may depend on the outcome of the bypolls for 20 MLA seats that are vacant now. The ruling party must win at least nine seats to reach the 118, the simple majority in the house.
Principal opposition DMK and its allies have 97 MLAs in the assembly. Even if the alliance wins all the 20 constituencies in the bypoll, it can reach only 117, falling short of one seat to have simple majority in the house.