Madras HC upholds Speaker's order on 6 AIADMK MLAs' resignations

The Madras High Court upheld the TN Assembly Speaker's decision to accept the resignations of six AIADMK MLAs who defected to TVK. The court ruled the acceptance as constitutionally valid, while also allowing disqualification proceedings to continue.

Madras HC Upholds Acceptance of AIADMK MLAs' Resignations

The Madras High Court on Tuesday upheld Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar’s decision to accept the resignations of six AIADMK MLAs who defected to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The MLAs are Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama, Isakki Subbaiah, Jayakumar, MR Vijayabhaskar and C Vijayabhaskar.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan partly allowed a batch of writ petitions filed by AIADMK whip Agri S.S. Krishnamurthy challenging the Speaker’s order. The resignations were accepted between May 26 and June 29, 2026. The Bench held that the acceptance was constitutionally valid and that there was no need for a roving inquiry. It also ruled that disqualification proceedings against the MLAs can continue.

Legal Challenge and Arguments

The petitioners have alleged that the resignations were accepted without a proper inquiry while disqualification proceedings against the legislators were pending. The disqualification plea was filed over allegations that the six MLAs voted in support of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in violation of the party whip. Earlier, Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar accepted the resignations of the six AIADMK MLAS. In this backdrop, AIADMK Whip Agri Krishnamurthy and National People's Power Party leader Ravi had filed cases seeking to quash the Speaker's order accepting their resignations.

The Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arulmurugan heard the cases. The Petitioners alleged the Speaker conducted no meaningful inquiry and also pointed to a complaint made to the Governor regarding horse-trading. On the other side, the resigned MLAs argued that resigning and joining another party is democratic politics. The Assembly Secretary's side submitted that if MLAs give a resignation letter voluntarily, the Speaker cannot refuse to accept it.

By-Elections and Results

Meanwhile, by-elections were held in Maduranthakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies after former AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel (Maduranthakam) and P Sathyabhama (Dharapuram) resigned to join Joseph Vijay's TVK. According to the Election Commission, TVK candidate P Sathyabhama won the Dharapuram Assembly constituency by-election with 66,841 votes, and in Maduranthakam, TVK candidate K Maragatham Kumaravel won. Both re-contested under TVK's whistle symbol and retained their seats with significant margins over opposition candidates from the DMK and AIADMK. (ANI)

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