Tamil Nadu: Another AIADMK MLA resigns a day after three joined Vijay’s TVK

Four All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MLAs have resigned from the Tamil Nadu Assembly over two days, with three of them joining the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, The Hindu reported.

Three of them, Maragatham Kumaravel, the MLA from Madurantakam, Sathyabama P from Dharapuram and Jayakumar S from Perundurai, resigned from the Assembly on Monday. The Speaker later announced that the resignations had been accepted.

Later in the day, the three leaders met Public Works Department Minister Aadhav Arjuna at the Secretariat and joined Chief Minister Vijay’s TVK.

On Tuesday, a fourth MLA, Esakki Subaya from the Ambasamudram constituency, met the Speaker and resigned, The Hindu reported.

The resignations have triggered a political row with respect to the speaker’s decision to accept them while disqualification proceedings against the MLAs are pending.

The resignations have reduced the AIADMK’s strength in the Assembly to 43.

Subaya said he had taken the decision “keeping in mind the welfare of the people” of his constituency and would issue a detailed explanation later, The New Indian Express reported.

The other three MLAs also said their resignations were taken in the interest of their constituencies and were not motivated by any “selfish agenda”.

The resignations came amid an internal split within the AIADMK.

All four MLAs are part of the faction led by former ministers CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani. The other faction is led...

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