Punjab, Oct. 9 -- Two Tamil Nadu seats that fell vacant because their AIADMK MLAs quit and joined the ruling TVK went to counting on Friday. In Madurantakam the defector is leading. In Dharapuram, the AIADMK has taken the seat back off him - by 88 votes after the second round. And on the same day, the Madras High Court is due to rule on whether the Speaker was entitled to let any of them resign at all.
How the seats fell vacant
Six AIADMK MLAs voted in support of the TVK government in violation of their party whip, which exposed them to disqualification. Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar instead accepted their resignations. Two of the six - Maragatham Kumaravel of Madurantakam and P. Sathyabama of Dharapuram - then re-contested the seats ...