109 MLAs turn up at ruling party meet held in Chennai

Chennai: In a show of strength as many as 109 MLAs are said to have attended the meeting convened by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami held in the city on Tuesday.

The meeting passed a resolution to support the continuation of EPS as the leader of legislators and vowed to support his actions. The district secretaries meeting, which was held later, discussed measures to conduct the general council meeting.

Fisheries minister D. Jayakumar who spoke to the media claimed that 109 MLAs attended the meeting.  He asserted that former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s soul would not pardon those who were trying to topple the government.

There is also a claim that nine MLAs of the Dhinakaran camp have been in touch with the CM over phone and that they are reportedly prepared to support him.  

Three other MLAs of parties which are allies of AIADMK are also reportedly in favour of the CM. Although the government is still short of the critical mark of 117 needed for a show of majority in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the government seems under less of a threat with so many MLAs showing up amid frequent calls for a floor test from the Opposition as well as a statement of no confidence in the CM by a few of his own party MLAs belonging to the TTV Dhinakaran faction.
Jayakumar alleged that some legislators had been “illegally confined against their wishes” (at Puducherry) and asserted that the legislators' meet signalled the dashing of hopes of those who wanted to “thrust” an election on the people.
 In a related development, Speaker P. Dhanapal had ordered the 19 MLAs to be present before him on September 7.