Tamil Nadu: Crisis Deepens for AIADMK as 3 Rebel MLAs join TVK

Chennai: The AIADMK sank further into deep crisis on Monday when three MLAs owing allegiance to rebel leader C.V. Shanmugam’s camp resigned from the party and decided to join actor politician C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Tamil Nadu has thus witnessed its most significant political upheaval to date following TVK Chief Vijay's assumption of office as Chief Minister.

What happened in Tamil Nadu?

Three AIADMK legislators have resigned from their posts and joined the TVK. Consequently, by-elections will now be held for a total of four assembly seats in the state, including Trichy East. Vijay's TVK had secured victory in 108 seats during the recent elections. Following Vijay's decision to vacate the Trichy East seat, the party's legislative strength had dropped to 107. The three AIADMK legislators who have tendered their resignations are Maragatham Kumaresan (Madhurantakam), Sathyabama (Dharapuram), and Jayakumar (Perundurai).

What did the rebel AIADMK legislators do?

After submitting their resignations to the Assembly Speaker, the three AIADMK legislators met with Adhav Arjun, a minister and close aide of Chief Minister Vijay. Subsequently, all of them formally accepted membership in the TVK. The AIADMK had split into two factions during the floor test faced by Chief Minister Vijay. Two of the three AIADMK legislators who have now joined the TVK are women. In the recent assembly elections, the AIADMK—led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami—had won 47 seats.

Why is This a Major Event in Tamil Nadu Politics?

With the departure of the three AIADMK legislators to the TVK, elections will now be contested for four seats. If the Vijay-led TVK manages to win all four of these seats, it will move closer to securing an absolute majority. It is noteworthy that when Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expanded his cabinet, the Left parties had issued a warning, stating that they would reconsider their support if any AIADMK legislators were appointed as ministers. If the legislators who have resigned win the upcoming by-elections, it will significantly strengthen the stability of Vijay's government. AMMK legislator S. Kamaraj has already extended his support to Vijay; he has since been suspended by Dinakaran. As the number of TVK legislators increases, the government's reliance on coalition partners to govern the state will correspondingly decrease.

Did the Speaker Accept the Resignations?

Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakaran has issued a statement regarding the resignations submitted by the AIADMK legislators. He stated that the resignations of the three AIADMK MLAs have been accepted. He informed that the three AIADMK legislators—Maragatham Kumuravel, Sathyabama, and Jayakumar—had submitted their resignations. The resignations were accepted as they were in accordance with the Assembly rules. All the resignation letters were found to be in proper order. The MLAs who tendered their resignations are not required to provide any reason for doing so.