Madras High Court Upholds Acceptance of Six AIADMK MLAs’ Resignations

The Madras High Court on Tuesday upheld the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker’s decision to accept the resignations of six AIADMK MLAs who later joined Chief Minister Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. A bench of Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan held that the resignations were genuine and that the Speaker was not required to conduct a detailed inquiry before accepting them.

The six legislators are Maragatham Kumaravel (Maduranthakam), S. Jayakumar (Perundurai), P. Sathyabama (Dharapuram), Esakki Subaya (Ambasamudram), former Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai) and former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar (Karur). They resigned on 25 May after cross-voting in a confidence motion and met TVK leaders the same day. AIADMK whip Agri S.S. Krishnamurthy challenged the acceptance, arguing that the Speaker should have examined the circumstances more closely.

The court clarified that acceptance of the resignations does not end the disqualification proceedings already pending under the Tenth Schedule. Those proceedings concern the MLAs’ alleged defection. The bench directed the Speaker to complete them within two months. The outcome of the disqualification petitions will determine whether the former AIADMK members face the consequences set out in the Constitution for crossing the floor.

The judgment partly allows the whip’s petition. It confirms the Speaker’s power to accept resignations that appear voluntary while preserving the separate track for anti-defection action. The six MLAs remain outside the AIADMK legislature party. Further hearings on the disqualification petitions are expected once the Speaker resumes the process under the court’s deadline.

The ruling arrives while the Tamil Nadu Assembly continues under the TVK-led government formed after the recent elections. AIADMK has not indicated whether it will appeal the High Court order. The two-month window gives the Speaker a fixed period to examine the evidence of cross-voting and party switching already on record.