The Madras High Court has upheld the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker’s decision to accept the resignations of six AIADMK MLAs, while directing the Speaker to decide within two months on pending disqualification proceedings against them, according to a report by Dinamalar – Tamil Nadu.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dharmadhikari and Justice Arulmurgan dismissed separate petitions challenging the Speaker’s decision. The petitions were filed by AIADMK whip Agri Krishnamoorthy and National People’s Power Party leader M.L. Ravi.
The six legislators had been elected as AIADMK MLAs before submitting their resignations. The group included M.R. Vijayabaskar, C. Vijayabaskar, Perundurai Jayakumar and Isakki Subbaya, along with two other legislators. They later joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, according to the report.
Among the six, Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama subsequently contested and won by-elections from the Madurantakam and Dharapuram reserved constituencies respectively. They then assumed office again as MLAs, creating a separate legislative development after their earlier resignations had been accepted.
The challenge before the High Court centred on whether the Speaker could accept the resignations while disqualification proceedings against the legislators were pending. The petitioners argued that accepting the resignations in those circumstances was invalid and sought cancellation of the Speaker’s order.
Arguments were presented on behalf of the petitioners, the Speaker and the Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. After the submissions were completed, the bench pronounced its ruling on October 13, holding that the Speaker’s acceptance of the six resignation letters was valid. The court also directed the Speaker to take a decision on the disqualification proceedings within two months.
The ruling separates two questions that had become linked in the dispute: whether the resignations could be accepted and whether the legislators should face disqualification. While the court upheld the administrative acceptance of the resignations, it left the pending disqualification issue for a decision by the Speaker within the specified period.
The case highlights the role of the Assembly Speaker in determining the status of legislators when resignations and disqualification proceedings overlap. It also places a time-bound responsibility on the Assembly authorities to conclude the pending disqualification matter involving the six former AIADMK legislators.
The High Court’s dismissal of the petitions means the Speaker’s acceptance of the resignations remains in force. The next formal step identified in the ruling is the Speaker’s decision on the disqualification proceedings within two months.
