AIADMK MLAs Switch Sides To Join TVK Amid Tamil Nadu Assembly Realignment

Three AIADMK MLAs quit the Tamil Nadu Assembly and moved to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s TVK on 25 May, deepening the crisis in Edappadi Palaniswami’s party, which has been struggling after its poor recent election performance.

The legislators Maragatham Kumaravel, Jayakumar and Sathyabama handed their resignation letters to Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar. All three had been associated with the rebel group that had challenged the authority of AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswami.

AIADMK MLAs shift to TVK amid Tamil Nadu Assembly churn

After stepping down as MLAs, Maragatham Kumaravel, Jayakumar and Sathyabama met TVK Minister Aadhav Arjuna in his office. They are expected to be formally inducted into Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which is headed by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

The trio were among 25 AIADMK MLAs who supported the TVK government during the 13 May confidence vote, going against the official party whip. Their decision to resign follows a broader churn inside the AIADMK legislature party over the last two weeks.

AIADMK MLAs realign as numbers shift in the Tamil Nadu Assembly

In a counter-move, five AIADMK MLAs linked earlier with the Shanmugam-Velumani camp have now returned to Edappadi Palaniswami’s side. With their comeback, the number of legislators currently backing Palaniswami in the Assembly has increased to 27.

The rebel camp’s strength has dropped from 25 to 17 after the resignations and the return of the five MLAs. Those who rejoined the Palaniswami camp include SM Sukumar from Arcot, signalling some recovery for the AIADMK leadership inside the House.

Maragatham Kumaravel had won Maduranthakam, near Chennai, on an AIADMK ticket, while P Sathyabama and S Jayakumar represented Dharapuram and Perundurai, respectively, in the Kongu belt, an area long viewed as a traditional support base for the AIADMK.