Fourth AIADMK rebel MLA resigns as EPS faction battles TVK defections

The situation within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) escalated rapidly on Tuesday (May 26), as Ambasamudram legislator Esakki Subaya tendered his resignation from the state Legislative Assembly.

The development marks the fourth high-profile exit from the AIADMK within 48 hours, triggering a frantic institutional and legal battle at the Secretariat.

This structural paralysis unfolded just hours after the faction loyal to party general secretary Edapaddi K Palaniswami (EPS) petitioned the Speaker to halt the fast-tracked acceptance of rebel resignations, citing pending disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law.

Continuous resignations

Esakki Subaya, a three-time legislator and influential AIADMK strongman in southern Tamil Nadu, presented his resignation directly to Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar. In a brief moment of procedural friction, the Speaker initially declined the submission because it was typed. Subaya immediately withdrew the document and substituted it with a handwritten copy, which was promptly accepted.

Also Read: AIADMK split deepens as EPS faces rebellion after trust vote

His departure closely followed Monday's mass resignations of three MLAs—Maragatham Kumaravel (Maduranthagam), P Sathyabama (Dharapuram), and S Jayakumar (Perundurai). All four belong to the breakaway rebel faction headed by former state ministers SP Velumani and CV Shanmugam.

This faction has systematically crossed lines to align with the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, with insider sources indicating they are slated to receive TVK party tickets to re-contest their respective seats in upcoming byelections.

Anti-defection petition

Prior to Subaya's swift afternoon exit, an official AIADMK delegation comprising Agri SS Krishnamurthy, Thalavai N Sundaram, and Advocates’ Wing Secretary IS Inbadurai confronted Speaker Prabhakar with a comprehensive three-page petition.

The Opposition argued that fast-tracking these resignations is a pre-planned conspiracy to circumvent the anti-defection apparatus under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

The party had previously filed a plea seeking the formal disqualification of 25 rebel lawmakers who openly defied Palaniswami’s directive to vote against the government during the crucial May 13 confidence motion.

"We had sought action against 25 AIADMK MLAs under the anti-defection law for defying the party diktat on the confidence vote," Krishnamurthy told reporters at the Secretariat. "Fearing disqualification, they are attempting to escape through the back door. When the earlier plea is pending, the Speaker accepting their resignations contravenes the rules."

The Advocates' Wing warned that the party will seek a judicial freeze from the High Court if the petition is bypassed. Conversely, Speaker Prabhakar maintained that his actions remain strictly within the legal framework of the House.

"My job is to see if the letters are appropriate and work within the legal framework to accept it," the Speaker asserted, noting that personal, handwritten submissions leave no room for administrative delay.

A fractured Assembly

The successive departures have triggered a substantial mathematical shift in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, weakening the leverage of the primary opposition. The ongoing AIADMK political crisis has seen the party’s effective strength plummet to 43 MLAs, down from the 47 seats it secured during the general elections.

Also Read: If TVK brings AIADMK rebels into Cabinet, we'll reconsider support: CPI(M)

The current internal alignment leaves the opposition deeply fragmented: The “Palaniswami Camp” has 27 MLAs firmly backing the general secretary. The “Rebel Faction” consists of 16 legislators who remain aligned with the Velumani-Shanmugam camp, though its numbers continue to dissolve under the weight of active defections. Concurrently, the total number of vacant assembly constituencies in the state has risen to five, including Tiruchirappalli East, which was vacated earlier by Chief Minister Vijay.

Cross-party backlash

The rapid political developments inside the Secretariat has drawn fierce condemnation from both traditional rivals and alliance partners, with friction escalating day by day. General Secretary Palaniswami launched a scathing attack on the TVK, mocking Chief Minister Vijay's transition from a self-proclaimed "clean force" to an architect of political opportunism.

AIADMK member SS Krishnamurthy alleged that TVK distributed laminated party memberships inside the Secretariat building within five minutes of the MLAs resigning, characterizing the manoeuvres as "Pushpa movie-style horse-trading" executed to safeguard an unstable minority government.

Echoing the multi-party backlash, DMK Chief MK Stalin criticized the ruling TVK, stating that the governing party was orchestrating "horse-trading proceeding at horse-speed."

The fallout has also caused deep ideological rifts within the ruling coalition itself. Congress MP S Jothimani publicly slammed the developments, cautioning that the national party cannot condone dual standards. "

The Congress party can never take a dual stand of supporting horse-trading in Tamil Nadu and opposing it outside the state," Jothimani stated, adding that validating such tactics represents a historical betrayal of democratic principles. TVK Revenue Minister KA Sengottaiyan has officially denied all allegations of horse-trading, countering that the Opposition's claims are merely reactionary.