Three AIADMK rebel MLAs quit, eye TVK switch; Palaniswami alleges ‘pre-planned conspiracy’

The AIADMK faced another setback on Monday after three of its MLAs from the rebel faction led by senior leaders C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani resigned and are expected to join the ruling TVK. The development triggered allegations of “horse-trading” from both the DMK and the AIADMK, PTI reported.

AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami criticised the TVK government over what he described as “fraudulent tactics,” saying such political practices were unprecedented in Tamil Nadu politics. He termed the resignations a “pre-planned conspiracy”.

The development comes weeks after the AIADMK suffered a setback in the 23 April polls, its fourth major defeat since 2019, and amid an internal split that saw its MLAs divide into two factions—one backing party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and the other aligned with the Shanmugam–Velumani group.

The two camps had taken opposing positions during the confidence vote of the TVK government, with the Palaniswami faction voting against it, while a 25-member group supported the C Joseph Vijay-led administration, which went on to win the trust vote.

Following the acceptance of the resignations of three MLAs by the Speaker JCD Prabhakar, the AIADMK’s strength in the 234-member Assembly has fallen to 44 from 47. The Speaker also stated that the matter will be communicated to the Election Commission.

“We are going to join TVK…”

Soon after meeting the Speaker, the three legislators–Maragatham Kumaravel, P Sathyabama and S Jayakumar met senior TVK leader and PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna. Kumaravel said “we are going to join TVK in Panayur (party hq),” later in the day.

The Speaker accepted the resignation of the three legislators — Kumaravel, who won from Maduranthakam, Sathyabama from Dharapuram, and Jayakumar, who got elected from Perundurai Assembly constituency — on AIADMK tickets.

Meanwhile, five MLAs from the Shanmugam-Velumani camp went back to party chief Palaniswami.

When reporters sought his response over the developments, Shanmugam only said “we will talk later.”

The three AIADMK MLAs called on the Speaker at the Secretariat and submitted their resignations. Dharapuram (Tiruppur) and Perundurai (Erode) are part of AIADMK’s traditional stronghold, the ‘kongu’ region in western Tamil Nadu. Maduranthakam is located near Chennai.

Shortly thereafter, they met Aadhav Arjuna at his chamber. The three MLAs were part of the 25 legislators who supported the TVK government led by C Joseph Vijay during the 13 May floor test, going against the party’s directive.

At the same time, five MLAs from the Shanmugam–Velumani faction switched back to AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, increasing the number of legislators supporting him to 27. One of the MLAs who moved out of the rebel camp was S. M. Sukumar (Arcot).

With these changes, along with the three resignations and five defections back to Palaniswami, the rebel camp’s strength has reduced to 17 from 25.

With the Speaker accepting the resignations, Tamil Nadu will witness byelections to four Assembly constituencies, including the Tiruchirappalli East vacated by Vijay.

Speaker Prabhakar told reporters that the three AIADMK MLAs’ resignations were accepted since they were in proper format, as per laid-down procedures. “There is no need to mention the reason to step down,” he said in a response to a question, PTI reported.

The resignation and split in the AIADMK has come within 21 days of declaration of Assembly election results. Post poll, this is a major jolt for the AIADMK. The DMK too has suffered a setback with its allies the Congress, VCK and IUML joining the TVK government and the Left parties extending their support to the Vijay-led dispensation.

Amid speculation of a rapprochement between the AIADMK factions, the five legislators who had supported Shanmugam called on Palaniswami at his Greenways Road residence and merged themselves with the party.

Later, the group met Prabhakar and submitted a letter stating that they would function under the leadership of Palaniswami.

“We gave a letter to our general secretary expressing regrets over some mistakes during the floor test in the Assembly. We said all five of us will function under his leadership and returned to the AIADMK,” Sukumar said.

The other MLAs are– P Haribaskar from Anthiyur, Dilipan Jaishankar from Sankarankoil, N S N Natarajan from Kangayam, and K Mohan from Panrutti.

What did Palaniswami say?

Responding to the resignation of the three MLAs, Palaniswami claimed that while their resignation letters were accepted in the ground floor of the Secretariat, “they were handed over membership cards at the hands of a minister in the first floor.”

“This has exposed the pre-planned conspiracy, a horse-trading,” he said in a statement.

The AIADMK has braved many “back-stabbings,” and “betrayals” to serve the public, he said.

In a veiled reference to the rebel camp, he said they had won since people voted against the “cinema celebrity’s symbol,” in an apparent reference to Vijay, and his party symbol ‘whistle.’

“People will soon teach a lesson to those riding on others’ shoulders,” he added.

DMK President M K Stalin also lashed out at the TVK, saying there was “horse-trading” in “horse-speed.”

He slammed the TVK for initially seeking DMK allies’ support for government formation, “luring a section of AIADMK MLAs to vote in its favour and making some of them resign as MLAs and making them join the party in Secretariat itself.”

From calling themselves “pure force,” the TVK has turned into a “grief force,” and did the people vote to witness such “nonsense,” Stalin asked in a social media post.

Meanwhile, AIADMK MP and the party’s Advocates Wing Secretary, IS Inbadurai, called the resignation of the three MLAs and their “having joined” TVK as “horse-trading.”

Everything, “including giving them TVK membership cards,” happened in a hurry and haste, he said in a post on ‘X.’

DMK MP P Wilson also slammed the TVK.

“Within 21 days, three elected MLAs charged with defection resigned and immediately joined the TVK party at the Secretariat premises to evade the anti-defection law. It is highly condemnable that the Government Secretariat premises and chambers have become places to join a political party, and all ethics and conduct have been cast aside,” Wilson, a Rajya Sabha member, said.

“Elections are now being forcibly imposed on the people of these three constituencies for personal political gain, and a significant amount of public money and time is likely to be wasted on another by-election, which normally must be held within six months,” he said in the social media post.