Tamil Nadu’s political landscape witnessed another dramatic shift on Monday after three sitting AIADMK legislators resigned from the Assembly and formally joined the ruling TVK, dealing a fresh setback to the opposition party, already grappling with internal divisions after the recent elections.
Madurantakam MLA Maragatham Kumaravel, Dharapuram MLA Sathyabama, and Perundurai MLA Jayakumar submitted their resignation letters to Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat before later meeting Minister Aadhav Arjuna to officially join the TVK camp.
The resignations have triggered intense political speculation in the state, with discussions now centring on the possibility of more defections from the AIADMK and a series of upcoming by-elections that could further alter the Assembly arithmetic.
Resignations deepen AIADMK crisis
The latest development comes at a time when the AIADMK has been struggling to contain factional tensions following its electoral setback.
Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama and Jayakumar were considered close to the AIADMK faction associated with former ministers C.V. Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani. Their exit has intensified concerns within the party over possible further rebellion from legislators unhappy with the current leadership situation.
With the resignations, the AIADMK’s tally in the Assembly is expected to reduce from 47 to 44 once the Speaker formally accepts the letters.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu: AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama, and Jayakumar resigned after meeting Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar at the Secretariat, then joined Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in the presence of Election Management General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna… pic.twitter.com/tLCBmfZ7Fa
— IANS (@ians_india) May 25, 2026
TVK strengthens position after post-poll negotiations
The ruling TVK, led by CM Vijay, has continued to consolidate its political position after the Assembly elections produced a fractured mandate.
The party had contested 233 constituencies and secured 107 seats initially after Vijay vacated the Tiruchy East constituency despite winning from two seats. Falling short of the majority mark of 118, the TVK subsequently secured support from parties aligned with the DMK-led bloc to form the government.
Following negotiations, the Congress joined the government and was accommodated with two ministerial positions. The VCK and IUML also extended support to the ruling alliance, while the CPI and CPI-M backed the government from outside.
The induction of the three former AIADMK legislators is now being viewed as another significant boost for the ruling side amid continuing political realignments in the state.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu | Three AIADMK MLAs, Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama, and Jayakumar, met Minister Aadhav Arjuna
They tendered their resignation to Assembly Speaker JCD Prabakaran earlier today.
(By-elections will be held for these three constituencies along with Tiruchi… pic.twitter.com/bBQN0QZ4RL
— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2026
By-elections likely in four constituencies
Once the resignations are accepted by the Speaker, by-elections are expected to be conducted in Madurantakam, Dharapuram and Perundurai constituencies, represented by the three outgoing MLAs.
The Tiruchy East seat, vacated earlier by CM Vijay after his dual victory, is also expected to go to polls along with these constituencies.
Floor test had already exposed internal divide
The resignations come days after signs of internal turbulence within the AIADMK surfaced during CM Vijay’s floor test in the Assembly.
The trust vote had effectively turned into an AIADMK-versus-AIADMK battle after 25 legislators linked to the C.V. Shanmugam faction voted in favour of the TVK government. Although the ruling alliance already enjoyed the support of 119 MLAs, the government ultimately secured 144 votes during the floor test, exposing the scale of divisions within the opposition ranks.