AIADMK Crisis Deepens: Former Minister MR Vijaybhaskar Resigns as MLA and Quits Party

Chennai: There was a big earthquake in the politics of Tamil Nadu on Monday. Senior AIADMK leader and former transport minister MR Vijayabhaskar resigned from the post of MLA and also left the party. This decision of Karur seat MLA Vijaybhaskar is a new blow for the AIADMK which has been facing internal strife and migration since the 2026 assembly elections. After his departure, the number of MLAs leaving the party after the elections has increased to 6. Due to this, AIADMK, which is considered the largest opposition party, seems to be becoming weaker.

What did the speaker of the assembly say?

Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakaran confirmed that MR Vijayabaskar appeared in person and submitted his handwritten resignation as per the proceedings and rules of the Assembly. His resignation was accepted after completing all the formalities as per rules. With this, Karur Assembly seat has become vacant and now the possibility of by-election for this seat has also increased.

How was the political journey of MR Vijaybhaskar?

MR Vijayabhaskar was the transport minister in the government of late CM J Jayalalitha. In the 2021 assembly elections, he was defeated by DMK's V. Senthil Balaji. But in the 2026 elections, he returned to Karur seat and won by just 1,821 votes. His victory was considered big for the party. In such a situation, his departure is a big loss for AIADMK.

Why are AIADMK's troubles increasing?

MR Vijayabhaskar is not the only leader who has left the party in recent months. Before him Esakki Subaya, P. Satyabhama, Maragatham Kumaravel, S. Jayakumar and C. Vijayabhaskar have also parted ways from AIADMK. Most of these leaders had also given up the membership of the Assembly. Due to these continuous resignations, the party's numbers in the Assembly are decreasing and questions are also being raised about its effectiveness as an opposition.

Is TVK becoming the new choice of leaders?

There is talk in political circles that many leaders who have left AIADMK are moving to actor and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). There is speculation that former leader C. Vijayabhaskar, who recently left the party, will also join TVK. Earlier, more than 300 AIADMK workers had also formally joined TVK. These leaders said that while being in AIADMK, they were not able to work as per the expectations of the public.

Did internal discord become the reason for resignations?

Political analysts believe that the long-running factional conflict within the AIADMK has now come out into the open. During the trust vote, senior leader S.P. Differences within the party were highlighted with some MLAs led by Velumani supporting the ruling coalition. Although later this group returned to the party, even then the resignations of the leaders did not stop. This clearly indicates that the dissatisfaction within the organization has not yet completely ended.

What will be the political implications going forward?

The continuous resignations have increased the concern of the AIADMK leadership. Party chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami now faces the challenge of keeping the organization united and maintaining the trust of the workers. TVK, on the other hand, seems to be continuously expanding its organization. In such a situation, new political equations may be formed in the politics of Tamil Nadu in the coming months and the role of the opposition may also be affected.