The political tension between the ruling TVK government and the opposition AIADMK escalated as the AIADMK accused the government of promoting political defections and engaging in what it termed as “horse-trading” to bolster its position in the Assembly.
AIADMK MLA Agri Krishnamurthy, representing the faction led by party General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), expressed concerns over recent political events involving AIADMK legislators. He highlighted issues regarding the handling of disqualification proceedings and the alleged defiance of party instructions by 25 legislators who supported the ruling dispensation.
Krishnamurthy revealed that the AIADMK had instructed all its MLAs to vote against the TVK government during the confidence motion in the Assembly. However, he noted that 25 legislators went against this directive and voted in favor of the ruling party. The AIADMK subsequently filed a petition with the Speaker, requesting action against these legislators under the anti-defection law.
The Speaker informed the AIADMK that the petition was still under review, with no final decision made yet. Krishnamurthy also raised concerns about the acceptance of resignations from three MLAs while disqualification proceedings were ongoing. He criticized the processing of these resignations before resolving the anti-defection petition, citing procedural and democratic implications.
Alleging that the acceptance of resignations under such circumstances deviates from Assembly norms, Krishnamurthy criticized the government for potentially setting an unfavorable political precedent. He accused the Secretariat of functioning more as an extension of the TVK party office than as the state’s administrative headquarters, claiming that “horse-trading is being carried out at horse speed.”
Warning against the repercussions of encouraging elected representatives to resign and switch political loyalties, Krishnamurthy cautioned that such actions could lead to increased instability and a surge in defections within Tamil Nadu politics.
