Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dhinakaran on Saturday said his party and the 18 disqualified AIADMK MLAs backing him were united in appealing against the Madras High Court verdict that upheld their debarment.

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dhinakaran

Madurai:

Dhinakaran, nephew of VK Sasikala, now serving a prison term in a disproportionate assets case in a Bengaluru jail, said there was no "clash of ideas or differences of opinion," in a meeting of disqualified MLAs, where it was decided to appeal against the verdict.

Such reports of discord were defamatory, he said.

"All of us are together," he said, adding that appealing in the Supreme Court was the only way to show that the disqualified MLAs "did no wrong" and that the Speaker P Dhanapal's action was not correct, he said.

Asserting that AMMK was ready to face elections for the 18 Assembly segments, he said "in case" the elections were called for these constituencies, the disqualified MLAs were even willing to face the polls.

He said the MLAs could withdraw their to-be filed appeal petitions in the top court in the eventuality of the Election Commission notifying the elections.

The only prayer of the MLAs was that their petitions should be disposed of expeditiously by the apex court.

AIADMK leader and Revenue Minister R B Udaya Kumar lashed out at Dhinakaran's party AMMK over their stand and wondered how they could claim to face elections for 18 constituencies after having decided to go in for an appeal.

Dhinakaran, who faced queries for not addressing the media over appealing against the verdict, said he had some appointments to keep and hence could not meet the journalists.

The AMMK deputy general secretary, after deliberations with the disqualified MLAs, did not meet the press Friday.

It was Dhinakaran's loyalist Thanga Tamilselvan (one of the disqualified MLA) who briefed the media here about the decision of 18 MLAs to prefer an appeal in the Supreme Court.

The Madras High Court Thursday upheld the June 14 order of the then Chief Justice, disqualifying the 18 rebel AIADMK legislators, in a huge relief to the K Palaniswami government.

The disqualified MLAs are loyalists of Dhinakaran, who now heads the AMMK, and deposed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala.

Dhinakaran has repeatedly been insisting that he will oust the Palaniswami government and merge the AIADMK with his AMMK.