No-confidence move against TN Speaker to be taken up 1 July

Tamilnadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal Monday indicated that the DMK’s resolution seeking his removal might be taken up 1 July during the ensuing session of the House.

The opposition party had moved the resolution 30 April against the Speaker, after he served notices to three pro-Dhinakaran AIADMK MLAs for alleged anti-party activities earlier that day.

On Monday, Dhanapal chaired a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee that discussed among other issues, the duration of the session that gets under way from 28 June.

On DMK’s resolution against him, the Speaker said, according to the House rules, it should be taken up 1 July. “The agenda (in this connection) will be released on July 1,” he said, without elaborating.

Though the session will start Friday, 28 June, the House is expected to adjourn after paying obituary reference to DMK MLA K Rathamani of Vikravandi Assembly constituency, who died a fortnight ago.

The M K Stalin-led Opposition party had moved against the Speaker after he served notices to three AIADMK MLAs siding with rival leader and AMMK founder T T V Dhinakaran, for alleged anti-party activities.

The DMK had slammed the Speaker for issuing notices to them and had submitted a resolution seeking his removal from the post with Assembly Secretary K Srinivasan the same day.

The resolution was submitted as per Article 179 (c) of the Constitution and Tamil Nadu Assembly Rule 68 both of which govern the procedure for removal of Speaker.

Today, Dhanapal said the session will be held from 28 June to 30 July, for 23 working days, where debates on grants for various departments will be held. Various bills will also be taken up, he added.

The session will be the first after the two-phase by-polls to 22 Assembly seats held in April and May where the AIADMK and DMK bettered their tally.

The ruling AIADMK won nine of the 22 seats, taking its tally to 123, including the Speaker. The DMK has 101 members after it romped home in 13 segments.

However, its strength has now reduced to 100, following the demise of Rathamani last week.

Congress legislator H Vasantha Kumar resigned following his election to the Lok Sabha, resulting in the party’s strength coming down to seven from eight.