At a time when Tamil Nadu is anticipating the judgment by the Madras High Court in the case of the disqualification of 18 'rebel' AIADMK MLAs, the government of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami seems to be gearing up for yet another political game in the state.
Days after the Thiruvadanai constituency MLA Karunas, who belongs to the AIADMK, created a controversy by declaring that he would make the ‘Koovathur resort deal' public, the state government is likely to send notices to him and three other MLAs. The Koovathur resort became infamous in early 2017 when it hosted nearly 100 AIADMK MLAs loyal to V.K. Sasikala as she attempted to form the government after then chief minister O. Panneerselvam 'revolted'.
“Action will be taken against Karunas and others who indulge in anti-party activities,” Panneerselvam, who is currently the deputy chief minister, told the media after taking part in an event to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Tuesday. On Monday, a day after the valedictory celebrations of the MGR centenary in Chennai, which was attended by several thousands of AIADMK cadres, Palaniswami and Panneerselvam held a meeting with Speaker P. Dhanapal to discuss possible action against Karunas.
According to sources, Palaniswami, Panneerselvam, ministers P. Thangamani and Velumani and Law minister C.V. Shanmugam held discussions with Dhanapal, following a letter from AIADMK chief whip S. Rajendran, seeking action against Karunas and three AIADMK MLAs who supported him.
A week before, speaking at a public meeting in Chennai, Karunas advised his supporters, “You can go kill anyone. But before that, you tell me and do the murder.” Karunas was arrested under charges of criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity and disharmony, attempt to murder and issuing death threats. He was later let out on bail.
Following his release, Karunas created yet another controversy, saying that the present AIADMK government had been spreading hatred and said he wouldn’t hesitate to tell in public what happened inside the Koovathur resort in February 2017 and how Palaniswami was nominated by Sasikala as the chief minister.
“I voted for Palaniswami in the assembly because Chinamma [Sasikala] told me to,” Karunas declared. In fact, a day before the public meeting, Karunas reportedly called on Sasikala at the Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru. As Karunas threatened to make the Koovathur resort deal public, three other MLAs—E. Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi), V.T. Kalaiselvan (Vriddhachalam) and A. Prabhu (Kallakurichi)—also extended support to him.
Following this, the AIADMK high command, comprising Palaniswami, Panneerselvam and a few other ministers, is said to have discussed sending notices to all the four MLAs, including Karunas, asking for an explanation. Sources say the Palaniswami government is also getting ready to disqualify the four MLAs under the anti-defection law.
“Action cannot be taken against Karunas under the anti-defection law for speaking at a public meeting. May be the speaker can take action against him for taking part in the mock assembly organised by the DMK months ago,” an AIADMK legislator said.
However, sources in the AIADMK say Palaniswami is targeting Karunas only to avoid a floor test and sit on the chief minister’s chair for a few more months. “The consultation meetings held to discuss taking action against Karunas is highly condemnable. The Palaniswami government is playing a drama only to evade a floor test,” DMK president M.K. Stalin said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Madras High Court hearing over the disqualification of 18 AIADMK MLAs came to a close a month ago and Justice Sathyanarayana is likely to pronounce the judgment soon. Highly placed sources in the Madras High Court say that the judgment is likely to be pronounced on October 8 or 9. The first bench of the Madras High Court, comprising former Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Sundar, had pronounced a split verdict in June. The case then was heard by a third judge, Justice Sathyanarayana.
Interestingly, when the verdict on the disqualification of the 18 MLAs is pronounced, the stay on a petition demanding a floor test in the assembly gets lifted. The petition seeking the Madras High Court to order a floor test was filed by DMK whip Sakkrapani in 2017 after the assembly speaker disqualified 18 MLAs, who defected to the T.T.V. Dhinakaran camp, under provisions of the anti-defection law.
The Madras High Court had apparently stayed the proceedings in the petition seeking a floor test, saying it will be taken up when the judgment in the case of the disqualification of 18 MLAs is pronounced. “It means the court stay on the floor test petition automatically gets vacated and the court might even order a floor test,” says a AIADMK legislator.
It is in this backdrop the Palaniswami government, sources say, has started playing yet another political game. “They are in a jittery now. If the stay is vacated and a floor test comes up, it is unlikely that Palaniswami will get the majority and there could be cross-voting. So to avoid the floor test, they now want to disqualify a few more MLAs and make them go to the court. By this, they can avoid the floor test. It is likely that one of our own [AIADMK] MLAs will again go to the court, saying a floor test can be held only after the court rules in the case of these four MLAs,” explained the legislator.
Other sources also confirm Palaniswami had sought an appointment to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His lieutenants, ministers P. Thangamani and S.P. Velumani, recently went all the way to Delhi to call on Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Earlier, Palaniswami also met Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu when he went on a pilgrimage to Tirupathi.
Sources say, through these meetings with senior BJP leaders, the AIADMK leaders have discussed about the 2019 polls and likely alliances.
