TN Politics Peak Drama: 3 AIADMK MLAs Resign After Backing TVK Govt; Meet CM Vijay
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami charged the TVK with introducing the horse-trading culture in Tamil Nadu: Reports
CHENNAI: The volatile political situation in Tamil Nadu took a curious turn on Monday with the resignation of three AIADMK MLAs from the group of 25 MLAs who voted in support of the TVK government in the vote of confidence and their immediate meeting with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna, triggering speculations on more such defections, and earning the wrath of opposition leaders cutting across party lines.
The three MLAs, Maragatham Kumaravel representing Madurantakam, P Sathyabama from Dharapuram and S Jayakumar from Perundurai, called on Speaker J C D Prabhakar, who accepted the resignations immediately, and were reportedly told by the TVK top brass to visit their party office in Panaiyur to enroll as members.
It is learnt the resignations were put in on time to enable the conduct of by-elections to the three constituencies along with that of Trichy East that has been vacated by the Chief Minister, who contested in two seats and has retained Perambur in Chennai.
Since the TVK has only 107 members in the 234-member House and was dependent on a slew of parties like the Congress, IUML, VCK, to prove its majority in the House, whenever it would be required, the party is trying to increase its number in the Assembly through poaching.
Alleging that horse trading was going on at ‘horse speed,’ DMK president M K Stalin launched a tirade against the TVK for mobilizing support from DMK allies first, then striking a deal with some MLAs of the AIADMK and finally prompting defections from the AIADMK inside the Secretariat.
Stalin also took a swipe at the Congress that had earlier said that its support to the TVK was on the condition of not seeking the NDA’s backing. The Congress, sitting cozily in the Cabinet, was enjoying the drama that was being played out by the TVK and getting exposed on its ‘fake anti-BJP stand,’ he said.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami charged the TVK with introducing the horse-trading culture in Tamil Nadu and said that the resignation drama was enacted on the ground floor and the party hopping was carried out on the first floor.
He said the TVK had first scouted support for its government that was formed despite losing in 126 of the total 234 seats in the Assembly from the allies of the party that it had described as ‘evil force’ and had then wooed AIADMK MLAs by sending sofa sets to their houses.
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss described the defection of the three AIADMK MLs to the TVK as ‘anti-democratic’ and ‘opportunistic politics’ and wanted the three MLAs to be barred from contesting the by-elections to the constituencies that they had vacated.
The resignations had been done without any respect for the people who voted for them and for the party workers, including those from the PMK, who toiled during the elections for their victory, he said.
Other DMK and AIADMK leaders also reacted angrily to the defections with DMK Rajya Sabha MP saying that it was a ploy to avoid the disqualification that the three MLAs might face under the anti-defection law for defying the whip issued by the AIADMK before the vote of confidence.
AIADMK MP I S Inbadurai accused the TVK of indulging in horse trading and said the resignations and their acceptance by the Speaker were all done in haste. He also pointed out that the government was misusing the Secretariat premises for its political activities and that needless by-elections would be a burden on the exchequer.
