Madras High Court to Rule on Disputed Resignations of Six AIADMK MLAs

The legal battle centers on claims that the Speaker failed to conduct a proper inquiry before allowing the six MLAs—Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama, Isakki Subbaiah, Jayakumar, MR Vijayabhaskar, and C Vijayabhaskar—to resign. AIADMK Whip Agri Krishnamurthy and party leader Ravi argue that the move was a tactical maneuver to circumvent pending disciplinary action after the lawmakers voted in support of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government.

Legal counsel for the Assembly Secretary maintains that the Speaker is bound to accept a voluntary resignation, while the former MLAs contend that switching parties is a fundamental democratic right. The case, heard by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arulmurugan, also highlights allegations of horse-trading previously brought to the Governor’s attention.

Following their resignations, Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabhama successfully re-contested their seats in Maduranthakam and Dharapuram under the TVK banner. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay hailed these victories as a rejection of transactional politics, claiming the results were secured without the financial inducements historically associated with regional by-elections.