Cong. team briefs leaders in Delhi

A delegation of Congress leaders, led by Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, on Wednesday met leader of the party in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi to apprise them on the nominated MLAs issue.

Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister K. Lakshminarayanan, who was part of the delegation that met the Congress top brass, told The Hindu that the leadership was given a detailed account on the appointment of three BJP leaders as nominated MLAs by the Centre. “The leaders have agreed to raise the issue in Parliament and outside. The central leadership has acknowledged the importance of the issue,” he said.

The delegation is likely to meet party president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday.

Local leaders consulted

Before the delegation left for New Delhi, Minister for Public Works A. Namassivayam, who is the chief of Pradesh Congress Committee, had convened a meeting of PCC office-bearers on Tuesday night.

The meeting was convened to prepare the party local leaders for politically opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party on the issue, a functionary said.

Shortly after the meeting, Mr. Namassivayam told reporters that the party would put its weight behind Speaker V. Vaithilingam who had opposed the nomination of BJP leaders.

“We have come across abuses being hurled at the Speaker by the BJP leaders, We will give a fitting response to the abuses and fight the issue legally,” Mr. Namassivayam said.

Mr. Namassivayam and Special Representative of the administration in New Delhi A. John Kumar are part of the Congress delegation.

Meanwhile, sources in the Assembly said the Speaker had consulted senior lawyers in Supreme Court on whether to file a review petition in the Madras High Court against the order upholding the nomination of the BJP leaders as Members of the Legislative Assembly..