The ruling party dismissed the allegations, while the three MLAs affirmed that their decision to join the TVK was made independently, praising Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for his initiatives supporting women, similar to those of the late CM J Jayalalithaa.
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami criticized the “fraudulent actions” of the TVK government, highlighting that such occurrences are unprecedented in Tamil Nadu politics. He labeled the resignations a “pre-planned conspiracy.” DMK President M K Stalin also condemned the TVK for its “horse-trading” activities. This news follows the AIADMK’s loss in the April 23 elections, marking its fourth significant electoral defeat since 2019. The party’s MLAs have divided into two factions, each supporting either Palaniswami or the Shanmugam-Velumani duo. The two groups took opposing stances during the TVK government’s floor test, with Palaniswami’s faction voting against it, while the other faction of 25 members supported the Vijay-led government, which successfully won the confidence vote.
Following the acceptance of the three MLAs’ resignations by Speaker JCD Prabhakar, the AIADMK’s strength in the 234-member Assembly diminished from 47 to 44.
Maragatham Kumaravel won from Maduranthakam, P Sathyabama from Dharapuram, and S Jayakumar from Perundurai Assembly constituency, all on AIADMK tickets.
Shortly after meeting the Speaker at the secretariat, the three legislators convened with senior TVK leader and PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna in his office.
Later, after officially joining the TVK in the presence of its general secretary and state minister N Anand, Kumaravel indicated that following the Assembly election results, the AIADMK adopted conflicting approaches regarding forming a government with the DMK and supporting the TVK.
“We did not wish to ally with the DMK. Approximately 30 MLAs under former state minister Shanmugam opposed the AIADMK’s collaboration with the DMK and chose to support the TVK, but we did not resign from the party then,” she informed reporters alongside Sathyabama and Jayakumar.
“We made the decision to join the TVK independently because we disagreed with the AIADMK’s alignment with the DMK. Our choice reflects our personal values, serving our self-respect and the interests of our constituencies and not for selfish gain,” she elaborated.
Meanwhile, in a positive turn for Palaniswami, five MLAs from the Shanmugam-Velumani faction returned to his camp.
The three MLAs who resigned were part of the 25 AIADMK legislators who voted in favor of the Vijay-led TVK government during the May 13 floor test, despite the party’s instructions.
With the Speaker’s approval of the resignations, Tamil Nadu will see byelections for four Assembly constituencies, including Tiruchirappalli East, which has been vacated by Vijay.
Speaker Prabhakar informed reporters that the resignation of the three AIADMK MLAs was accepted in the correct format, according to established procedures.
The resignations and split within the AIADMK occurred just 21 days after the Assembly election results were declared, marking a significant blow for the party. The DMK has also encountered challenges, as its allies the Congress, VCK, and IUML have joined the TVK government, with the Left parties offering their support to the Vijay-led administration.
In light of speculation regarding a reconciliation between AIADMK factions, five legislators who initially supported Shanmugam visited Palaniswami at his Greenways Road residence and merged back into the party.
Consequently, the number of MLAs supporting Palaniswami in the Assembly has increased to 27. The legislators who shifted from the Velumani camp include S M Sukumar (Arcot). With the three resignations and five MLAs returning to the Palaniswami faction, the rebel group’s strength has reduced to 17, down from 25.
Subsequently, the group met with Prabhakar and submitted a letter indicating their intention to operate under Palaniswami’s leadership.
“We submitted a letter to our general secretary expressing regrets over some errors made during the floor test in the Assembly. We affirmed that all five of us would operate under his leadership and returned to the AIADMK,” Sukumar stated.
Strongly denouncing the three MLAs for their resignation and alignment with the TVK, Palaniswami characterized the day’s events at the state Secretariat as “resignation at the ground floor while party membership is granted at the first floor.”
“The fact that the resignation letters were submitted by the three MLAs—who succeeded through the diligent efforts of the AIADMK—in the Speaker’s Chamber on the ground floor, and within the next 10 minutes, their party membership cards were distributed to them in the TVK minister’s room on the first floor, has unveiled a premeditated staged conspiracy and horse-trading,” the AIADMK general secretary stated.
The party has experienced numerous “treacherous acts and betrayals,” and Palaniswami asserted that the AIADMK remains unshaken.
Questioning whether the public voted for the TVK to engage in “horse-trading” at “horse speed,” Stalin remarked on ‘X’ that the TVK initially solicited support from DMK allies to form the government, influenced certain AIADMK legislators to vote in favor during the floor test, and subsequently convinced AIADMK MLAs to resign and join their ranks.
Stalin criticized the ruling party, declaring, “The TVK has now revealed itself to be anything but the virtuous entity it claimed to be.” He also admonished the Congress for “relishing the ongoing developments” after expressing support for the TVK government.
Also Read | Tamil Nadu politics: Vijay’s TVK government in crisis as CPM threatens to pull support over AIADMK entry
In response to Stalin’s comments, Aadhav Arjuna expressed strong displeasure, asserting that since the DMK chief lost in the Kolathur constituency, he has been attributing the election loss to social media.
“He avoids mentioning our leader Vijay’s name and perpetuates false narratives, as he did prior to the elections,” Arjuna remarked, adding that both the DMK and AIADMK, alongside the BJP, are plotting to see Palaniswami reinstated as chief minister.
