Tamil Nadu's ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) would not actively seek defections from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), but would consider the matter if legislators chose to leave their party over differences with its leadership, state health minister K G Arunraj said on Wednesday.
His remarks come amid an ongoing legal dispute over AIADMK legislators who resigned from the Assembly and joined the TVK led by chief minister C Joseph Vijay earlier this year.
Speaking to reporters at Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai, Arunraj said the TVK had no targets for attracting opposition legislators. “See, we don't have any targets... We don't have any mission in this. When those MLAs, because of the factors within their own party, reject their leadership and come to us, let's see. In due course, we will see,” Arunraj told PTI.
His remarks came a day after the Madras High Court upheld Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar's decision to accept the resignations of AIADMK legislators who joined the TVK after the Assembly elections.
Madras High Court upholds Speaker's decision
A division bench of Chief Justice S A Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan upheld Speaker J C D Prabhakar’s decision to accept the AIADMK legislators’ resignations, ruling that he only needed to verify that they were voluntary and genuine.
The petitions, filed by AIADMK whip Agri Krishnamurthy and Ravi of the National People’s Power Party, challenged the decision, saying that the resignations were submitted and accepted on May 25, the same day the legislators joined the TVK, without adequate scrutiny.
The petitioners also argued that the AIADMK should have been given an opportunity to oppose the resignations under Article 190 of the Constitution. The court upheld the Speaker’s decision, while clarifying that disqualification proceedings against the legislators could continue.
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Political developments behind the dispute
The Tamil Nadu Assembly election results were declared on May 4. The TVK won 108 seats, short of the 118 needed for a majority. The party later secured support from other legislators and formed the government under CM Vijay.
During the May 13 confidence vote, the government secured 144 votes. Despite an AIADMK whip directing its legislators to oppose the motion, 25 MLAs voted in favour of the government. Disqualification proceedings were initiated on May 14.
Some legislators later apologised, and proceedings against them were dropped. On May 25, the MLAs in question resigned, and the Speaker accepted their resignations before they joined the TVK. The dispute raised questions over the validity of their resignations and possible violations of the anti-defection law.
Why disqualification proceedings continue
The court clarified that accepting an MLA's resignation does not automatically end disqualification proceedings over earlier conduct.
Under Article 190 of the Constitution, the Speaker must verify that a resignation is voluntary and genuine. The Tenth Schedule, however, allows disqualification for voluntarily giving up party membership or voting against a party whip without permission, subject to applicable exceptions.
The court directed the Speaker to complete the pending proceedings within two months.
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TVK wins bypolls
AIADMK defectors Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabhama contested by-elections under the TVK flag in Maduranthakam and Dharapuram and retained their seats. Vijay described the results as a victory for democratic values and said his party had won without paying voters.