Chennai, June 29 (IANS) The AIADMK suffered another setback on Monday after Karur MLA and former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabaskar resigned from the Tamil Nadu Assembly, adding to the growing list of opposition legislators who have quit the party following the 2026 Assembly elections.

According to reports, Vijayabaskar submitted his handwritten resignation letter to Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, formally relinquishing his membership of the House.

Political sources said he is expected to join the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) shortly, although there has been no official confirmation.

The resignation comes amid continuing political realignments in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 Assembly elections, which produced a fractured mandate.

The TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats but fell short of a majority, eventually forming a coalition government with its allies.

During the election campaign, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had projected the contest as a direct fight between the TVK and the DMK. The final results saw the DMK emerge as the principal Opposition, while the AIADMK was pushed to third place. Following the election results, uncertainty gripped the AIADMK, with its newly elected MLAs being housed at a resort in Puducherry amid fears of defections.

Around the same time, senior leaders and former ministers, including S.P. Velumani, C.V. Shanmugam and Vijayabaskar, were seen functioning as a separate group within the party. The faction led by Velumani later reconciled with AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and returned to the party fold. However, Shanmugam and Vijayabaskar did not immediately meet the party leadership, triggering speculation over their political future before returning to their respective constituencies.

In the weeks that followed, several AIADMK legislators resigned from the Assembly and later joined the TVK. Among them were Maragatham Kumaravel, Jayakumar, Sathyabama and Isakki Subbiah, reducing the party’s strength in the House. With M.R. Vijayabaskar’s resignation, the AIADMK has now lost another prominent legislator and former minister, underlining the continuing political churn within the party.

His expected move to the ruling TVK is likely to further strengthen the government’s position in the Assembly while posing fresh organisational challenges for the AIADMK leadership.

–IANS

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