Blow To AIADMK As Vijayabaskar Resigns As MLA

The embattled AIADMK has been dealt another blow as former Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar as resigned as the MLA. The Viralimalai MLA submitted his letter of resignation to Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar at the Secretariat in Chennai on Tuesday, in a personal appearance required under Rule 21 of the Assembly's standing orders.

Following a preliminary review, the Speaker confirmed that the documentation complied with Rule 22, thereby accepting the resignation with immediate effect. Consequently, the Viralimalai constituency seat has been declared vacant.

The move comes amid a steady exodus from the opposition party, which has been grappling with internal dissent and a perceived lack of effective leadership. Just last week, more than 300 AIADMK functionaries officially defected to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) at the party's Panaiyur headquarters.

Among those who switched allegiance were several high-profile former legislators and ministers, including Vellamandi Natarajan, former Mylapore MLA Natraj, former minister Anandan, and ex-Paramakudi MLA Sadhan Prabhakar. Trade union leader Kamalakkannan and Tirupathur City Secretary D.T. Kumar were also present.

The induction ceremony was overseen by a triumvirate of senior TVK figures: General Secretary and Rural Development Minister N. Anand, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sengottaiyan, and Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna.

Speaking to the press, former minister and senior AIADMK leader Udumalai Radhakrishnan - who confirmed his own defection alongside heavyweights such as Trichy N.R. Sivapathi, Kadambur Raju, M.C. Sampath, and Panneerselvam - cited the party's decline since the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

"During her tenure, discipline within the AIADMK was absolute. Her passing was an irreparable setback for the organisation," Mr Radhakrishnan remarked. He lamented that despite remaining with the party for the past five years, he and his colleagues had found themselves unable to serve the electorate effectively, operating instead under "difficult and restrictive circumstances."

Expressing renewed optimism, he drew a direct line of succession from the party's founding patriarchs. "We see the ideals of M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa reflected in the leadership of Chief Minister Joseph Vijay," he said, adding that the "respect and recognition" afforded to them by the TVK had been the decisive factor in their decision to join the ruling party.

With inputs from ANI