Three AIADMK MLAs submitted their resignation to Assembly speaker JCD Prabakaran and joined Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on May 25 amid accusations of horse-trading. MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam constituency), Sathyabama P (Dharapuram constituency), and Jayakumar S (Perundurai constituency) met Minister for Public Works Aadhav Arjuna, who welcomed them with commemorative shawls.
Responding to the resignations, AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP IS Inbadurai accused the TVK of indulging in horse trading. “Even before the Speaker announces the acceptance of the resignations of the three AIADMK MLAs, the three of them rushing to urgently meet Minister Athav Arjunan, and the plan to bring them into the party at express speed and the party handing them over party ID cards at lightning speed—these are all premeditated. This is 100 per cent horse trading,” he said in a statement.
The DMK also accused the TVK of engaging in horse trading and faulted the MLAs for meeting Aadhav at the Secretariat and instead of the TVK’s party headquarters.
“Inside Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretariat — which runs on the taxpayers' money of the people of Tamil Nadu — you're sitting with arrogant power and shamelessly conducting disgusting 'horse trading' by buying MLAs of the Opposition. Is this the "alternative politics" you were shouting about? ” the DMK said in a statement.
The statement further read: “If you're inducting people into your party right inside the Secretariat under the leadership of your 'Shadow CM', how much have you demeaned a government office? Is this a government office or your party's business centre?”
DMK Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson added, “Within 21 days, three elected MLAs charged with defection resigned and immediately joined the TVK party at the Secretariat premises to evade the anti-defection law. It is highly condemnable that the Government Secretariat premises and chambers have become places to join a political party, and all ethics and conduct have been cast aside.”
Wilson further said, “Elections are now being forcibly imposed on the people of these three constituencies for personal political gain, and a significant amount of public money and time is likely to be wasted on another by-election, which normally must be held within six months.”
With these resignations, four constituencies, including Trichy East, from where Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay contested, are set for bye-elections. Vijay contested and won in both Perambur and Trichy East.
Earlier, speculations surfaced of Cabinet postings for rebel AIADMK MLAs, triggering condemnation from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Left parties.
Vijay was able to prove his majority on the House floor on May 21 with the support of 144 MLAs, including 27 rebel AIADMK MLAs.