AIADMK defection row: TN Speaker to begin hearings against 4 ex-MLAs today
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar will begin hearings on Tuesday into the disqualification petitions against four former AIADMK legislators who resigned from the Assembly and subsequently joined another political party, following a directive from the Madras High Court.
The proceedings, scheduled from November 10 to 12, will examine complaints filed by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami against former legislators Esakki Subbiah, Maragatham Kumaravel, Jayakumar and Sathyabama.
The controversy originated in the political turmoil that followed the Assembly elections, when the AIADMK split into rival factions led by Palaniswami and former Minister S.P. Velumani. Both leaders submitted separate representations to the Speaker, seeking recognition of their respective groups as the legitimate AIADMK legislative party.
The confrontation intensified during the confidence vote faced by the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. Twenty-five AIADMK legislators belonging to the Velumani faction voted in favour of the government, prompting the Palaniswami camp to demand their disqualification. Subsequently, four legislators who supported the government resigned their Assembly memberships and joined another party.
The Palaniswami faction urged the Speaker not to accept their resignations and demanded action under the anti-defection provisions.
However, a political reconciliation between Palaniswami and Velumani subsequently brought the rival AIADMK factions together. Following the agreement, the party requested the withdrawal of disqualification proceedings against 21 legislators, while maintaining its complaint against the four who had resigned.
The proceedings against the 21 members were subsequently dropped.
Dissatisfied with the delay in deciding the remaining petitions, Palaniswami approached the Madras High Court seeking directions for an expeditious decision. The High Court directed the Speaker to examine the disqualification complaints and take an appropriate decision within two months.
Acting on the court’s directive, the Speaker has issued notices to the four former legislators and scheduled hearings from Tuesday to Thursday. Lawyers representing both the former legislators and Palaniswami are expected to present their arguments.
The final hearing has been scheduled for November 17, following which the Speaker is expected to announce his decision after examining the submissions.
Significantly, Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama subsequently won byelections and are currently serving as TVK legislators.
Earlier, former AIADMK Ministers M.R. Vijayabhaskar and C. Vijayabhaskar had also resigned their Assembly memberships and joined another political party, reflecting the continuing realignments within Tamil Nadu politics.