Tamil Nadu: AIADMK factions reach truce, withdraw disqualification pleas against each other’s MLAs

The two factions of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Wednesday withdrew disqualification petitions against each other’s MLAs, and reached a truce two weeks after the rift surfaced, the Hindustan Times reported.

The rift had taken place after 25 AIADMK MLAs led by former ministers CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani voted in favour of the new Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government during the floor test on May 13. Of the 25, four MLAs – Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama P, Jayakumar S and Esakki Subaya – resigned from the party and joined the TVK.

Twenty-two MLAs led by former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had voted against the government led by Chief Minister Vijay.

On Wednesday, Velumani said that both factions had withdrawn petitions before the Assembly speaker that had sought that the legislators from the other group be disqualified, The Hindu reported. Speaker JCD Prabhakar confirmed that he had received the letters seeking withdrawal, and said that he would announce his decision on Thursday.

Velumani maintained that there had been no division or split among the AIADMK MLAs.

“We have urged the general secretary [Palaniswami] to constitute a committee to introspect on the electoral defeats faced by the party,” the MLA said, according to The Hindu. “He said he would take it up step by step.”

There had only been “differences of opinion” among the...

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