The Supreme Court delivered a decisive ruling regarding political defections in Tamil Nadu, dismissing a petition filed against six former AIADMK legislators. These politicians had resigned from their assembly seats following cross-voting against party directives and subsequently joined the ruling party. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana dismissed the plea brought forward by advocate K. Suthan, which had challenged an earlier order from the Madras High Court upholding the legislators' exits.
Courts Uphold Constitutional Rights of Resignation
During the proceedings, the bench observed that an individual choosing to resign and subsequently becoming a minister remains a facet of the broader political process. The original petition before the Madras High Court, dismissed on September 24, had sought the creation of a campaign expenditure security mechanism alongside a five-year disqualification for the six members who defected. The judiciary asserted that lawmakers possess an inherent constitutional right to vacate their seats, and extra-legal conditions cannot be imposed arbitrarily through judicial mandates.
Timeline of Resignations and Speaker Action
The legal battle also referenced a Madras High Court ruling from October 13, which affirmed Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar's decision accepting the resignations of these six members. Furthermore, the high court had instructed the speaker to resolve a pending petition filed by AIADMK whip Krishnamurthy regarding the disqualification status of S. Jayakumar, Maragatham Kumaravel, P. Sathyabama, and Sakkai Subbiah within two months.
The sequence of resignations began on May 25, 2026, when S. Jayakumar, Maragatham Kumaravel, and P. Sathyabama stepped down from Perundurai, Madurantakam, and Dharapuram constituencies respectively. Sakkai Subbiah followed suit the next day from Ambasamudram, while C. Vijayabaskar from Viralimalai and M. R. Vijayabaskar from Karur resigned on June 16 and June 29 respectively. Having won their seats on AIADMK tickets during the April assembly elections, these leaders aligned themselves with the TVK led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay following their departures.
By-election Victories and Tenth Schedule Compliance
Subsequent political developments saw by-elections held on October 6, where TVK candidates Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama secured victories in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. The Supreme Court delivered its verdict while addressing petitions from both Krishnamurthy and the political party Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi. The bench concluded that the resignations tendered by the lawmakers were submitted voluntarily and fully conformed to the provisions outlined in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
