The legislators—Aragatham Kumaravel, Jayakumar, and Sathyabhama—were identified as being part of the faction aligned with SP Velumani. According to sources, the MLAs met Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna, a key aide of Vijay, before proceeding to the Speaker’s office. Accompanied by Arjuna, they formally submitted their resignations, which were accepted.
The AIADMK strongly condemned the development, alleging political inducement and describing the episode as “horse-trading,” while pointing out that the MLAs were seen with Aadhav Arjuna even before formally tendering their resignations. The party termed it a “planned move.”
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) organising secretary RS Bharathi reacted to the development, stating that “hyaram diyaram has started in Tamil Nadu,” in a sharp political remark on the unfolding crisis.
The internal rift within the AIADMK reportedly stems from a demand by a section of legislators to align with Vijay during a trust vote, a proposal opposed by party chief and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Leaders including Velumani and his supporters had advocated backing Vijay, but after disagreement within the party leadership, 24 rebel MLAs had supported Vijay during the vote. The AIADMK has since filed a complaint before the Speaker seeking disqualification of the rebel legislators under the Anti-Defection Law, with a ruling still pending.
Speaker J. C. D. Prabhakar, addressing the controversy, defended his handling of the resignations, stating that “the resignation letters are in order and they presented these in order.” On the pending anti-defection petitions, he added that both sides claim authority over the whip and assured that a fair ruling would be delivered after due consideration.
Meanwhile, criticism has emerged over the meeting between the resigned MLAs, Aadhav Arjuna, and Vijay at the Secretariat, with allegations that government premises were used for political activity. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has not yet issued a response on the matter.
With the resignation of the three MLAs, the TVK’s legislative strength, excluding the Speaker, stands at 107 MLAs. The party requires 11 more seats to secure a simple majority. Its current allies—the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and the Indian Union Muslim League—collectively account for nine seats, leaving a shortfall of two seats. Although Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam allies, the Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist), provide external support with four MLAs, the TVK is reportedly attempting to secure a majority independently to reduce reliance on non-allied support.
The developments mark a significant escalation in Tamil Nadu’s shifting political alignments, with legal scrutiny under the Anti-Defection Law still pending and the Speaker’s ruling expected to play a decisive role in the unfolding crisis.
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