Just in: The Madras High Court upholds the Tamil Nadu speaker's decision of disqualifying 18 AIADMK MLAs loyal to TTV Dhinakaran. Dhinakaran had instructed all but one of the 18 MLAs to move to a resort near the Tirunelveli district ahead of the HC verdict.


This comes as a huge relief for TN CM E Palaniswami for if the HC had said the disqualification was illegal, the strength of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam would have come down to 112 in the assembly, five short of the required 117 according to current assembly strength.


The 18 lawmakers had presented letters to the then Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao pulling out their support to Edappadi K Palaniswami as chief minister in September last year.


The Madras High Court had on June 14 given a split judgment, in a breather for the state government.