Senior AIADMK leaders met with Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar on Tuesday to request the withdrawal and rejection of several lawmakers' resignations.

The move comes as the party attempts to stabilize its ranks and prevent further defections to the ruling TVK party. These resignations threaten the AIADMK's legislative strength and highlight internal friction within the faction led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

Delegates including Agri S.S. Krishnamoorthy, O.S. Manian, N. Thalavai Sundaram, and I.S. Inbadurai visited the Speaker's office at the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly [1]. The group said the Speaker should reject the resignations to ensure that proper legal procedures are followed [1].

Reports on the exact number of affected lawmakers vary. One report indicates that three AIADMK MLAs resigned [3], while another states the party is seeking the rejection of resignations for four MLAs [2]. This discrepancy suggests a rapidly evolving situation as a fourth member is reportedly set to join the TVK [2].

The AIADMK leadership is attempting to block these exits to maintain its presence in the assembly. The party's efforts are focused on preventing the ruling TVK from gaining more ground through strategic defections, a move that could shift the political balance in the state.

The meeting with Speaker Prabhakar is the party's primary mechanism to halt the official processing of these resignations. If the Speaker accepts the resignations, the seats will be declared vacant, necessitating by-elections in the affected constituencies [1].

“The group urged the Speaker to reject the resignations to ensure that proper legal procedures are followed.”

This struggle over the resignation of MLAs reflects a broader volatility within Tamil Nadu's opposition. By pressuring the Speaker to reject the resignations, the AIADMK is attempting to create a legal or procedural buffer to prevent its members from joining the ruling TVK, thereby avoiding a weakened legislative position and the potential for embarrassing by-election losses.