The crisis within the AIADMK continues to deepen, with another MLA, MR Vijayabhaskar, representing the Karur Assembly constituency, resigning from the party on Monday, June 29.
The former transport minister submitted his resignation in writing to Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar, who accepted it, stating that the resignation complied with Rule 21 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules.
“In accordance with Rule 21 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules, the Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Karur constituency, MR Vijayabhaskar, has personally submitted his handwritten letter of resignation to me. As the resignation letter conforms to the requirements laid down under Rule 22 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules, I hereby accept his resignation,” the Speaker said.
Vijayabhaskar is the sixth AIADMK legislator to quit the party following its poor performance in the recent Assembly elections. His resignation reduces the party’s strength in the Assembly from 47 to 41.
In the 2026 Assembly election, Vijayabhaskar polled 71,542 votes to defeat TVK candidate V P Mathiyalagan by a narrow margin of 1,821 votes. He had previously served as Transport Minister in J Jayalalithaa’s Cabinet. He lost the 2021 Assembly election from Karur to the DMK’s V Senthil Balaji but won again in 2026.
The AIADMK is yet to issue a statement on the exit of Vijayabhaskar.
Earlier, five AIADMK MLAs—K Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam), S Jayakumar (Perundurai), P Sathyabama (Dharapuram), Esakki Subbiah (Ambasamudram) and C Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai)—resigned from the House. Of them, four have since joined the ruling TVK.