Disqualification proceedings against four former MLAs will be logically concluded, AG Madras HC assures
The procedures will be carefully followed and the Speaker will pass the order according to the principles of natural justice and in accordance with the law, the AG said.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government is committed to upholding constitutional values and therefore the disqualification proceedings initiated against four former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs will be taken to their logical conclusion, Advocate General Vijay Narayan told the Madras High Court on Monday.
Appearing before Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, AIADMK leaders said they had initially given representation to Legislative Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar for initiating disqualification proceedings against 25 of their MLAs who had voted for the TVK-led government in May 2013 in the House in de2006. whip.
Then AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami wrote to the Speaker that he condoned the act of 21 of the 25 MLAs and therefore the Speaker dropped the disqualification proceedings against them. Meanwhile, the rest of the four MLAs S. Jayakumar, P. Sathyabama, Maragatham Kumaravel and Esaki Subaya submitted their resignations to the Speaker and joined the TVK.
The Speaker accepted their resignation due to the law laid down by a three-judge bench comprising former Chief Justices of India NV Raman, Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Krishna Murari of the Supreme Court in Shrimanth Balasaheb Patil vs Hon’ble Speaker of Karnataka in 2019. In this verdict, if the Supreme Court found it voluntary for him to resign.
“In this case, all the four MLAs appeared before the Hon’ble Speaker and tendered their resignations. There was no doubt that their resignations were not genuine. It was not a case of any forged signatures being endorsed on the resignation letters or anything like that. Hence, their resignations were accepted,” the AG Division Bench said.
He went on to say that the Speaker nevertheless issued notices to all the four former MLAs (who later joined the ruling TVK) seeking their explanation regarding the disqualification proceedings as the Supreme Court in a 2019 verdict had also ruled that the disqualification proceedings could continue, barring submission of resignation letters by the MLAs concerned.
“Therefore, the procedures will be carefully followed and the order will be passed by the Speaker as per the principles of natural justice and in accordance with the law,” Mr. Narayan assured the court. The submissions were made during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi, which had urged the court to quash a gazette notification regarding the acceptance of resignations.
The judges adjourned the hearing of the case to Wednesday (June 17, 2026) after advocate SR Rajagopal, representing AIADMK whip Agri SS Krishnamurthy, said his client had also filed a writ petition against the acceptance of the resignations and sought an interim direction to the Election Commission of India not to conduct conversational elections to Madstiturantakaiencies. Dharapuram and Ambasamudram vacated by four former MLAs.
Since the suit has not yet been numbered, counsel on Wednesday asked the court to hear the two cases together. Meanwhile, advocate B. Ramkumar Adityan of Tiruchendur also filed a plea in the High Court demanding that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate the circumstances that led to the resignation of the four MLAs and their joining the TVK within minutes.
Published – 15 Jun 2026 22:26 IST