CHENNAI: After overcoming legal hurdles to assert his leadership, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday urged Tamil Nadu legislative assembly speaker M Appavu to recognise R B Udhayakumar as the party’s deputy leader of opposition in the house. EPS insisted that Udhayakumar be provided a seat next to him, replacing former chief minister O Panneerselvam, who was expelled from the party last year. Appavu, however, told TOI that the post of deputy leader of opposition was not a recognised post as per the assembly rules, and it was his prerogative to make seating arrangements for the members of the House. “No one can claim that he should be given a seat in a particular place,” the speaker said.
A delegation of MLAs led by former AIADMK minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan called on Appavu in his chamber at the secretariat and presented him a letter addressed by Palaniswami. “The Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court recognised the leadership of Palaniswami. We urged the speaker to provide a seat to our deputy leader (next to EPS). This time, we asked him to give his decision in writing,” senior leader Sengottaiyan told reporters. He recalled such a representation from Palaniswami twice in the past, which did not evoke “a positive outcome”.
Appavu asserted that all 66 AIADMK MLAs elected in the two leaves symbol would be treated the same till the end of the term, unless disqualified on the ground of defection. “The assembly rules recognise only the post of leader of opposition. They could have (elected) members for other posts of the legislature party, such as deputy leader of opposition, treasurer, secretary and deputy secretary but the assembly rules do not recognise them,” the Speaker said.
The AIADMK legislature party led by Palaniswami in July last year chose Udhayakumar and former minister Agri S S Krishnamurthy as deputy leader of opposition and deputy secretary respectively, replacing OPS and Paul Manoj Pandian, after they were expelled from the party.
Sengottaiyan said the letter submitted to Appavu also mentioned the precedence set in the past. The successive AIADMK governments had given seats to former deputy leaders of opposition, Duraimurugan (DMK) and Panruti S Ramachandran (DMDK), next to the leaders of opposition based on the conventional practice in the assembly.
Appavu said there was another precedent set by former speaker S Dhanapal. “The former speaker did not disqualify OPS and 10 other MLAs, who were elected in two leaves symbol but voted against the AIADMK regime in a trust vote. Seating arrangements for all have been made as per assembly rules,” he said.
A delegation of MLAs led by former AIADMK minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan called on Appavu in his chamber at the secretariat and presented him a letter addressed by Palaniswami. “The Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court recognised the leadership of Palaniswami. We urged the speaker to provide a seat to our deputy leader (next to EPS). This time, we asked him to give his decision in writing,” senior leader Sengottaiyan told reporters. He recalled such a representation from Palaniswami twice in the past, which did not evoke “a positive outcome”.
Appavu asserted that all 66 AIADMK MLAs elected in the two leaves symbol would be treated the same till the end of the term, unless disqualified on the ground of defection. “The assembly rules recognise only the post of leader of opposition. They could have (elected) members for other posts of the legislature party, such as deputy leader of opposition, treasurer, secretary and deputy secretary but the assembly rules do not recognise them,” the Speaker said.
The AIADMK legislature party led by Palaniswami in July last year chose Udhayakumar and former minister Agri S S Krishnamurthy as deputy leader of opposition and deputy secretary respectively, replacing OPS and Paul Manoj Pandian, after they were expelled from the party.
Sengottaiyan said the letter submitted to Appavu also mentioned the precedence set in the past. The successive AIADMK governments had given seats to former deputy leaders of opposition, Duraimurugan (DMK) and Panruti S Ramachandran (DMDK), next to the leaders of opposition based on the conventional practice in the assembly.
Appavu said there was another precedent set by former speaker S Dhanapal. “The former speaker did not disqualify OPS and 10 other MLAs, who were elected in two leaves symbol but voted against the AIADMK regime in a trust vote. Seating arrangements for all have been made as per assembly rules,” he said.
