Chennai

Speaker J C D Prabhakar issues show cause notices to four former AIADMK MLAs

By Editorial·13 June 2026·1 min read

A photorealistic wide shot of a senior Indian politician in a white shirt, seated at a polished wooden desk inside a for...

In Chennai, Legislative Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar has issued show-cause notices to four former AIADMK Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who resigned from their posts to join the ruling TVK party.

Speaking to the media from his chamber at the Secretariat, the Speaker announced that the notices were issued on June 9, giving the former legislators a seven-day window to respond to charges filed under the anti-defection law.

The four former MLAs facing action are Maragatham Kumaravel, P Satyabama, S Jayakumar, and Essaki Subaya. The Speaker has officially sought their explanations regarding the complaints made against them by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.

The political development traces back to a confidence motion held on May 13. During the vote, 25 AIADMK MLAs revolted against Palaniswami's leadership and defied the party whip's explicit direction to vote against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s government. Instead, the rebel legislators voted in favour of the TVK administration.

Following the vote, AIADMK general secretary Palaniswami filed a petition against all 25 dissenting MLAs. However, 21 of those MLAs subsequently issued apologies to Palaniswami. Accepting their apologies, Palaniswami condoned their actions and formally requested the Speaker not to proceed with disciplinary measures against them.

In contrast, Palaniswami did not withdraw his official complaint against the four MLAs who chose to resign from their assembly seats and permanently align themselves with the TVK. Because the complaint against these four individuals remained active, Speaker Prabhakar initiated the formal show-cause process.

During his address at the Secretariat, Speaker Prabhakar confirmed that the four former MLAs must submit their written explanations to the charges.

Alongside the announcement of the show-cause notices, the Speaker also shared details regarding upcoming legislative activities. A two-day orientation programme designed for MLAs is scheduled to be held on June 16 and June 17. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to inaugurate the orientation sessions.