Chennai: Assembly speaker J C D Prabhakar issued a show-cause notice to four former AIADMK MLAs who resigned from their posts and joined the ruling TVK. He has sought their explanation on the charges levelled against them by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami under the provisions of the anti-defection law.
Addressing the media in his chamber at the Secretariat on Friday, Prabhakar said that he issued the notice to four former MLAs - Maragatham Kumaravel, P Satyabama, S Jayakumar, and Essaki Subaya - on June 9 and asked them to respond within seven days. “I have asked them to give their replies to the charges against,” said Prabhakar.
AIADMK had filed the petition against the 25 MLAs who revolted against Palaniswami and defied the party whip’s direction to vote against chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s government during the confidence motion on May 13. Twenty one of the MLAs who voted in favour of the TVK government were condoned by Palaniswami after they apologised. EPS had requested the speaker not to take action against them. However, Palaniswami did not withdraw his complaint against the four MLAs who resigned their posts and joined TVK. Hence, the speaker initiated action against them.
Prabhakar also announced that a two-day orientation programme for MLAs would be held on June 16 and 17, which the chief minister would inaugurate.
