Chennai: There's no discord, all 18 MLAs are with me, says TTV Dhinakaran

Chennai: Though there has been a setback over the Madras High Court verdict on the MLAs disqualification case, there is no dissension between him and his ‘loyal’ lawmakers, AMMK leader T. T. V. Dhinakaran has said.

A day after his supporters threatened to move the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court’s Thursday verdict upholding the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker’s order disqualifying 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs, Mr. Dhinarakan denied any difference of opinion between him and his supporters on the issue.

“It’s wrong. We are together. They all are with me for the sake of party and they have not come with expectations. Though there has been a setback over the verdict all the 18 MLAs are with me. We will decide the next course of action,” Mr. Dhinakaran told reporters in Madurai on Saturday.

Flanked by his staunch supporter Thanga Tamilselvan and others, he said since he was preoccupied, he had asked his legislators to meet and discuss the next course of action. “Karunas, who is on condition bail, could not attend as he had prior engagements. So, please don’t construe that we are divided,” Mr. Dhinakaran said.

On Friday, Thanga Tamilselvan had announced to move the Supreme Court over the issue while Dhinakaran had said he would consult his supporters and legal experts before deciding on the next course of action.

Contending that appealing before the Supreme Court was the only option left to show that the MLAs had done nothing wrong, he alleged that the Speaker P. Dhanapal’s action was not correct. To a question he replied that his party was ready to face by-election in the 18 Assembly constituencies, if elections were to be held. He also claimed that his legislators would drop the move in the event of the Election Commission notifying the by-polls.

Meanwhile, State Revenue Minister R. B. Udayakumar ridiculed AMMK wondering how they could claim to face the elections if they have decided to go on an appeal against the verdict.