Chennai: Nine newly-elected AIADMK members who emerged victorious in the Assembly by-elections, were on Wednesday sworn in as MLAs.
The oath was administered by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanpal in the presence of Chief Minister and AIADMK joint coordinator Edappadi K. Palanisamy and Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam.
Other senior leaders of the party were also present in the Speaker's Chamber in the Secretariat. Mr. Panneerselvam is also the Leader of the House.
The nine newly elected AIADMK lawmakers are: P. Kandhasamy (Sulur), A. Govindasamy (Pappireddipatti), N. Sathan Prabhakar (Paramakudi), V. Sampathkumar (Harur), G. Sampath (Sholinghur), P. Chinnappan (Vilathikulam), S. Thenmozhi (Nilakkottai), S. Nagarajan (Manamadurai) and M.S.R. Rajavarman (Sattur).
With this, the ruling AIADMK's strength in the 234-member House increases to 122 MLAs (excluding the Speaker). The opposition DMK which won 13 Assembly seats in the just concluded election, has a total of 101 members.
DMK's allies, Congress and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have seven and one member respectively. Following the resignation of Congress MLA H. Vasanthakumar from Nanguneri, after he was elected as MP from the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency, the strength of the Congress in the Assembly has been reduced to seven.
Nanguneri will witness by-election on account of the resignation. The other legislator TTV Dhinakaran, AMMK leader, who won as independent from the city's R. K. Nagar Assembly constituency, is opposed to the AIADMK.
Numerically, there is no threat to the ruling AIADMK which enjoys a simple majority and its government can continue till 2021. In all probability, it may overcome the threat posed by the DMK, if any, over a no-confidence motion being contemplated by the opposition party.
