Former AIADMK minister M R Vijayabaskar resigns as MLA

Chennai, Jun 29 (PTI) Former minister M R Vijayabaskar resigned as MLA on Monday, becoming the sixth legislator from the AIADMK to quit the position following its electoral setback in the April Assembly election.

Immediately after the news of his resignation spread, AIADMK Karur district secretary Kamla Kannan claimed that Vijayabaskar had quit the party as he had loans to repay.

“He had told party workers during the meetings held over the last two days that he had loans to repay and hence wanted to leave the party. Vijayabaskar won the Assembly election due to the AIADMK. He has betrayed not only our leader but also the party workers,” Kannan told reporters in Karur.

The party has been facing the crisis of exodus of its cadres since the poll results

were announced on May 4.

Following the resignation of Vijayabaskar, who was former state transport minister in the J Jayalalithaa-Cabinet, the total number of vacancies has risen to seven – six from the AIADMK and in addition the Tiruchirappalli East constituency vacated by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay following his victory from two seats. He has retained Chennai’s Perambur constituency.

Vijayabaskar, who was elected on AIADMK ticket from Karur, met Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar at the Secretariat here today and submitted his handwritten resignation letter, which was accepted.

He had lost the seat to DMK’s V Senthil Balaji in the 2021 Assembly election but won from Karur in the 2026 polls.

This brings the strength of the AIADMK in the Assembly to 41 from 47. All the six lawmakers who had given up their seats had voted in favour of the TVK government during the floor test on May 13, defying the party’s diktat.

Earlier, former health minister C Vijayabaskar, a medical doctor by profession, resigned as MLA and quit the party. He is likely to join the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

Days after the floor test, AIADMK members – Maragatham Kumaravel, P Sathyabama, S Jayakumar and later Esakki Subaya – resigned and joined the TVK. PTI JSP JSP KH