Chennai: With unconfirmed reports making rounds that opposition MLAs are planning to resign en masse to bring in political pressure and force Assembly polls, experts are of the opinion that mass resignations will not change the dynamics of TN politics.
“Nothing will happen if all Opposition MLAs resign and there are no rules that insist on the presence of an opposition in an elected Assembly. En masse resignation may bring in political pressure, but Assembly can continue with the current MLAs,” said Naresh Gupta, former chief electoral officer Tamil Nadu.
Now with the issue of defection making rounds and the matter has reached the judiciary, the court will have a major role to play, he said.
The role of election commission is restricted when an elected Assembly is formed, he said. The EC's role is to conduct free and fair polls, whenever Assembly seats are notified as vacant, he added.
Sources at Election Commission of India maintained that EC would distance itself from the current political turmoil for a few months. Though the state has begun the notification process declaring 18 seats as vacant due to the disqualification of TTV supporters, ECI will wait for final judicial orders.
There are possibilities for EC to again postpone R K Nagar polls citing the status of 18 Assembly seats, ECI sources said. Conduct of polls and their schedule are matters vested with ECI and the poll body will take a final call, sources added.
According to a government pleader, who has represented TN public elections department in the recent past, the constitutional issue will take at least three to five months' time for the court to pass final orders. And again if the political situation changes the issue may get dragged further benefiting the state government.
