The Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered that no floor test should be held in the Assembly until next hearing on October 4. Justice M Duraiswamy also ordered that elections should not be held to the 18 Assembly constituencies which were declared vacant by Assembly Secretary after the disqualification of MlAs loyal to Sasikala.
This is an interim order passed on a batch of cases filed by the 18 disqualified MlAs challenging Speaker P Dhanapal’s decision, and the writ petition filed by MK Stalin, leader of the Opposition, seeking an early floor test.
The HC chose to pass the interim order since senior counsel Ariyama Sundaram, representing Speaker P Dhanapal, sought time till October 4 to file counter affidavits. “There is no stay on the disqualification order of the MlAs. The disqualification stays. We have sought time till October 4 to file the reply,” Sundaram said.
The court order came even as news channels beamed live pictures of the Chief Minister taking a holy dip in the Cauvery at Mayiladuthurai as part of Kaveri Pushkaram festival seeking divine intervention for safety of his Government.
Following the interim order delivered by Justice Duraiswamy, the legislature party meeting of the DMK scheduled for Wednesday evening has been postponed.