Chennai: In another setback for AIADMK, former minister and Viralimalai MLA C Vijayabaskar quit the party and resigned the MLA post. He is expected to decide in the next few days whether to join TVK or DMK, and is likely to recontest the Viralimalai seat in the ensuing byelection.
In a statement, Vijayabaskar said he was leaving the party “with a heavy heart”, adding that the pain could not be described in words. “It is deeply saddening that the party I loved so much is facing trials due to the wrong decisions of an individual. I made this decision as continuing in the party with profound anguish would neither be meaningful nor true to my conscience,” he said.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had expelled Vijayabaskar and 26 other district secretaries after they sided with the TVK govt on May 13. However, Palaniswami later condoned the actions of the rebel MLAs after they submitted letters expressing regret. On Saturday, the party sacked two union secretaries in the Pudukottai North district unit, which was previously headed by Vijayabaskar. A new district secretary also took charge.
A close associate said Vijayabaskar was upset with the leadership’s decisions on pre-poll and post-poll alliances. The former minister was one of the senior functionaries who held talks with TVK on the rebels joining TVK cabinet. “Vijayabaskar has got feelers from DMK and TVK, with assurances of key positions. He will take a decision in a few days,” the associate said. The DMK camp is believed to have offered him a district secretary post.
Vijayabaskar is the fifth AIADMK MLA to resign since the 2026 Assembly election. With his resignation, the party’s strength in the House has fallen to 42. Earlier in the day, Vijayabaskar criticised the AIADMK leadership and questioned how he could remain in a party that did not respect emotions. “Leadership is not authority or arrogance. It is a profound embrace of dedication,” he said in a post on X.
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