'Resort politics' appears to have made a comeback in Tamil Nadu even as the Madras High Court is expected to deliver its verdict on the disqualification of 18 MLAs on Wednesday. All the 18 MLAs of the T.T.V. Dhinakaran faction, except his trusted lieutenant Vetrivel, have been asked to stay at a resort in Courtallam near Tirunelveli, on Monday.
The coming together of the MLAs has created a political flutter in the state although T.T.V. Dhinkaran’s newly-launched Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) tried to play down the issue. “There is no politics in this. We don’t know when the verdict will be delivered. We are all going to Courtallam to take part in the Maha Pushkar at Thamirabarani,” Thanga Tamil Selvan, the propaganda secretary of AMMK, told THE WEEK.
It may be recalled that in September last year, 18 MLAs revolted against Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and petitioned the governor to replace him. Subsequently, they were disqualified by Speaker P. Dhanapal.
The MLAs moved the High Court, challenging their disqualification. A bench comprising of the then Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Sundar delivered a split verdict in April, following which a third judge was appointed by the Supreme Court. While the arguments in the case is over, the court is yet to pronounce the verdict.
Meanwhile, political circles in Tamil Nadu are abuzz with expectations over the verdict, and sources say the verdict might be delivered on Wednesday. “This is only to create a political confusion. The verdict will not cause any dent in the ruling AIADMK faction,” AIADMK spokesperson Jawahar Ali said.
While it is believed that there might be horse-trading after the verdict, chances of a floor test immediately after the verdict are scarce. “The stay on the petition, filed by the DMK, seeking a floor test will immediately get vacated when the verdict in the MLA disqualification case is out. But it doesn’t mean that the government under EPS has to prove its strength immediately. Any of them can go for an appeal to the Supreme Court, whatever the verdict is,” said political analyst Sumanth C. Raman.
Even as the the MLAs set out to Courtallam, Dhinakaran was in Bengaluru, calling on his aunt V.K. Sasikala at the Parappana Agrahara prison. The two, according to sources, discussed various political developments in the state.
