Chennai: The Madras High Court on Thursday upheld the decision of Tamil Nadu speaker in the case pertaining to disqualification of 18 AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran. The verdict has come as a major relief to Palaniswami government having 116 MLAs, as it continues to remain in majority after disqualification of 18 AIADMK MLAs as the new total strength of the house has been reduced to 216.

Justice M Sathyanarayanan heard the pleas after a bench of then Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar gave a split verdict on the matter on June 14.

18 AIADMK MLAs were disqualified under anti-defection law:

The 18 AIADMK MLAs were disqualified on September 18 last year under the anti-defection law after they met the Governor and expressed loss of confidence in Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

In view of the split verdict with Indira Banerjee upholding the disqualification and Justice Sundar setting it aside, Justice S Vimala was appointed to hear the petitions afresh.







However, the apex court named Justice Sathyanarayanan, while declining to accept a prayer of the disqualified MLAs who raised apprehension of "bias" and sought to transfer the matter to the apex court.