Overview
- Three AIADMK legislators — Maragatham Kumaravel, P Sathyabama and S Jayakumar — tendered resignations and had them accepted by Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar on Monday, and a fourth rebel MLA, Esakki Subaya, resigned the following day.
- The three MLAs met TVK minister Aadhav Arjuna after resigning and were reported to have joined Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, and the quartet’s departures have cut AIADMK’s Assembly strength.
- The Speaker’s acceptance creates vacancies in Madurantakam, Dharapuram and Perundurai that will be filled by by-elections likely to be held with the Trichy East poll, opening a fast route for TVK to try to add seats.
- AIADMK leaders have asked the Speaker to reject the resignations and are pursuing legal remedies, arguing pending petitions seeking disqualification under the Anti-Defection law bar MPs from escaping proceedings by resigning.
- The episode highlights deep factional splits inside the AIADMK, fresh charges of ‘horse-trading’ from opposition leaders, and a near-term test of whether bypolls or court rulings will determine the Assembly’s balance of power.