Madras High Court begins to hear plea of rebel AIADMK MLAs

In September, the Madras High Court extended the stay on the floor test till the hearing.

While hearing the case on the disqualification of 18 MLAs, belonging to the Dinakaran group, justice Doraiswamy said that there shall be no floor test in the Assembly till the legal case is disposed.

With the reduced number of seats after 18 MLAs were disqualified, the EPS-OPS faction could have easily proven its majority in the Assembly. However, with a stay on the floor test, the situation seems tricky for the Palaniswami government.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal had  disqualified the legislators under the Anti-Defection Act for withdrawing their support to the EPS government.

The group of 18 MLAs announced withdrawal of support to the E Palaniswami Government after the EPS-OPS camps buried hatchets and took control of the organisation by ousting V Sasikala and sidelining her nephew TTV Dinakaran.

Claiming that the Government now stands in the minority, the Dinakaran camp demanded a floor test in the House.

However, in a prompt move, the Speaker disqualified all these 18 MLAs  before any trust vote could take place.

If the court quashes the disqualification and the floor test takes place in the TN assembly, the Palaniswamy government could certainly fall short of the majority without the support of the rebel MLAs, according to reports.

The power struggle in the party began after Jayalalitha's death when VK Sasikala, who is presently in jail for a disproportionate assets case, tried to become the state's CM.