Chennai: The newly elected DMK legislators were sworn in at the Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal’s chamber at the Secretariat here on Tuesday, ahead of the oath taking by the new MLAs of the ruling AIADMK on Wednesday.
DMK president and leader of the opposition in the Assembly M.K. Stalin was present during the swearing ceremony of his party’s 13 MLAs.
The party had won 13 out of 22 Assembly constituencies, where by-elections were held in two phases on April 18 and May 19. With this, DMK’s strength in the 234-member House has increased to 101 from 88.
The ruling AIADMK on the other hand managed to save its government by winning 9 seats, thus taking its tally of members to 122 from 113 (excluding the Speaker). The half-way mark in the Assembly is 118.
The 13 DMK MLAs were administered the oath of office by Mr. Dhanapal. DMK senior leader T. R. Baalu was also present.
S. Kathavarayan (Gudiyattam-SC), L. Idhayavarman (Tiruporur), A. Krishnaswamy (Poonamallee-SC), C. Shunmugaiah (Ottapidaram-SC), S.A. Sathya (Hosur), K.S. Saravanakumaar (Periyakulam-SC), P. Saravanan (Tirupparankundram), V. Senthil Balaji (Aravakkurichi), R. D. Shekar (Perambur), T. K. G. Neelamegam (Thanjavur), Poondi K. Kalaivanan (Tiruvarur), A. Maharajan (Andipatti), and A. C. Vilwanathan (Ambur) were administered the oath.
Decision on no-confidence motion after Assembly is convened:
The DMK will take a decision on moving no-confidence motion against the Speaker after the Assembly is convened, said party president Stalin after attending the swearing-in of his new MLAs.
The DMK chief who remained non-committal on pursuing no-confidence motion said, “wait and see” and did not elaborate. Asked if his party would consider moving a ‘no confidence’ motion against the government, Stalin said his party would decide on that after the dates for the Assembly session are announced.
“After the dates are made known, we will take a decision about it,” he replied.
Along with its allies – the Congress and IUML, the DMK has a strength of 110 MLAs in the House and eight seats short of majority.
Dhanapal had issued notices to three AIADMK lawmakers supporting rival AMMK leader T. T. V. Dhinakaran, on April 30, following a recommendation seeking disqualification of the MLAs by government Whip, for anti-party activities.
After the notices were sent to the MLAs, the DMK submitted a resolution, seeking Dhanapal’s removal. Later, after the MLAs approached the Supreme Court against the move, the court stayed the proceedings.
