AIADMK Ambasamudram MLA Esakki Subaya quits, joins TVK

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu assembly speaker JCD Prabhakar on Tuesday accepted the handwritten resignation letter of former minister and sitting Ambasamudram MLA Esakki Subaya, after initially rejecting a typed version. Subbaiah joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

This follows Monday's resignations of three MLAs from the rebel camp led by former AIADMK ministers C Ve Shanmugam and SP Velumani—Madurantakam (reserved) MLA Maragatham Kumaravel, Dharapuram (reserved) MLA P Sathyabama, and Perundurai MLA S Jayakumar. They too joined TVK. This brought down the number of MLAs in the AIADMK rebel camp to 16 from 25.

After joining TVK at the party headquarters in Panaiyur alongside general secretary N Anand, Subaya told reporters that he aligned with the ruling party for his constituency's welfare. Denying opposition allegations of horse-trading and poaching AIADMK MLAs, Subaya stated, “I joined TVK as I have confidence that chief minister C Joseph Vijay will deliver good governance.”

After accepting Subaya’s resignation, Prabhakar told journalists that he would accept resignation letters only if they are submitted by legislators in person and in the appropriate format. “My decision is final on accepting the resignation letters of the MLAs. No time limit can be fixed for me to decide on the issue,” Prabhakar said, noting that he has been acting in accordance with legal provisions.

Earlier in the day, a delegation led by former ministers Agri S S Krishnamoorthy and O S Manian submitted a representation on behalf of party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, urging the speaker not to accept resignations from the rebel camp. They also appealed to the speaker to revoke the government order declaring the Madurantakam (reserved), Dharapuram (reserved), and Perundurai constituencies vacant following the recent resignations.

"Accepting these resignations amounts to encouraging horse-trading by the ruling TVK," Agri Krishnamurthy told journalists after meeting the Speaker. "The TVK government is horse-trading at breakneck speed. The resigned MLAs are inducted into the TVK and issued membership cards within five minutes," he added, referring to Monday's drama at the secretariat.

The delegation also argued that accepting resignations from MLAs facing anti-defection proceedings violates the Constitution. "When the party leader's (EPS) representation is pending before the Speaker, the resignation of MLAs facing legal action should not be entertained," said AIADMK RS MP IS Inbadurai.

Meanwhile, former speaker M Appavu wondered about the necessity for showing such an urgency by the present speaker over the resignation letter of the newly elected MLAs.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan criticized the induction of the rebel AIADMK MLAs after they resigned their posts. In a statement, Shanmugam questioned the spontaneity of the move, stating, "Though the AIADMK MLAs claimed they resigned of their own free will to join TVK, it does not look like the move happened without expecting something in return. Such an approach is detrimental to healthy politics."