Three AIADMK MLAs resign, join TVK
Chennai, May 25
In a fresh political development that could reshape Tamil Nadu's post-election landscape, three AIADMK MLAs - Madurantakam MLA Maragatham Kumaravel, Dharapuram MLA Sathyabama, and Perundurai MLA Jayakumar - resigned from the Assembly on Monday and later joined the ruling TVK.
The resignations have intensified speculation about further defections and the possibility of multiple Assembly by-elections in the state.
The three legislators, considered close to the AIADMK faction led by former ministers C.V. Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani, submitted their resignation letters to Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar.
Soon after handing over their resignation letters, the MLAs reportedly met Minister Aadhav Arjuna and formally joined the TVK.
The development comes amid continuing political shifts in Tamil Nadu following the Assembly election results, which have kept the state's political arena active and uncertain. The TVK, led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, had contested 233 constituencies and initially secured 107 seats after Vijay vacated the Tiruchy East constituency.
However, the party fell short of the majority mark of 118 seats required to form the government and subsequently sought support from parties in the DMK-led alliance.
Following negotiations, the Congress aligned with the TVK and was accommodated in the government with two ministerial berths. Other parties, including the VCK and the IUML, also became part of the TVK-led government, while the CPI and the CPI-M extended unconditional support from outside the government.
At the same time, around 25 AIADMK MLAs aligned with the faction led by C.V. Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani had adopted a favourable stance towards the TVK government, triggering speculation about a possible split within the AIADMK. However, the Velumani faction was eventually not accommodated in the cabinet.
Reports later suggested that reconciliation efforts had begun between the faction and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami. With Vijay having already vacated the Tiruchy East seat, the resignations of the three MLAs are expected to increase the number of vacant Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu to four.
Political observers are now closely watching whether more MLAs from the Velumani-Shanmugam camp may take a similar path in the coming days.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The TVK government is still short of majority on paper at 107 seats, even with the support of DMK alliance parties. These three defections will help a bit but they'll need more to be stable. I hope CM Vijay focuses on governance rather than just expanding his numbers - that's what people voted for after all.
This is how coalition politics works in Tamil Nadu - fluid alliances and opportunistic moves. The AIADMK is clearly in trouble with factionalism. I'm just hoping that these developments don't lead to horse-trading and instability. The state needs a stable government to tackle pressing issues like education and infrastructure.
It's surprising to see MLAs resigning so soon after the elections. Makes you question the commitment to their party and voters. At the same time, if they feel the AIADMK is drifting, maybe they're making a pragmatic choice. Let's see how many more follow - the article hints at up to 25 from that camp.
Politics in Tamil Nadu never fails to amaze! First it was the DMK's exit, then the AIADMK split, and now MLAs are crossing over to TVK. I wonder what EPS is thinking about all this. The by-elections in four constituencies will be interesting to watch - might give a clearer picture of public sentiment.
I've been following TN politics from abroad, and this pattern of defections is concerning for democratic stability. The voters chose these MLAs based on party platforms, and now they're switching sides without fresh mandates. The anti-defection law needs to be enforced more strictly to discourage such moves.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.