Supreme Court declines plea against AIADMK MLAs' disqualification

The Supreme Court of India has declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker’s decision to drop disqualification proceedings against 21 AIADMK MLAs. The ruling upholds a previous Madras High Court dismissal of the petition.

The dispute originated after 25 AIADMK MLAs voted in favor of the TVK government during a confidence motion on May 13, violating their party’s whip. The petitioner, P V Selvakumar, argued that the conduct of the legislators warranted action. However, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned the petitioner’s standing, noting he was neither a sitting legislator nor an authorized representative of the party.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that proceedings under the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution must be initiated by a member of the House. While the court declined to intervene in this specific plea, the bench clarified that it is leaving certain questions of law open for consideration in future appropriate proceedings.