What happened
AIADMK legislators met the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker and submitted a letter from party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami seeking action against former AIADMK MLAs under the anti-defection law. The dispute concerns six former legislators, including C. Vijayabaskar and M.R. Vijayabaskar.
The AIADMK has alleged that the former legislators resigned from the Assembly and joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. The rival side has rejected the allegation and said the defectors must explain the reasons for their conduct.
Background and earlier position
The anti-defection framework is part of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. It is designed to deter political defections that can destabilise elected governments and weaken the mandate of the legislature.
In legislative disqualification disputes, the Speaker of the House is the formal authority expected to examine the petition, notices, and responses before taking a decision. The present dispute had already reached the stage where the Speaker sought explanations from the former MLAs after they responded to notices.
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