A defection wave in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is witnessing an unusual political phenomenon ever since the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay, came to power. Several MLAs, most of them from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), have resigned their hard-won Assembly seats to join the ruling party, hoping to be renominated by the TVK in the ensuing by-elections. Before their switch over, as many as 25 MLAs even voted in favour of the TVK government during the Assembly floor test.

Although the TVK emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly, it fell short of a majority by 10 seats. It eventually formed the government after the Congress switched allegiance from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led camp, while the two communist parties and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi initially extended outside support. They have now joined the government along with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). The ruling party, however, does not appear content with a working majority. Instead, it seems intent on strengthening its own numbers so that it need not depend on allies for its survival.

A trend reversal

The continuing stream of resignations and defections has been described by the Opposition as “horse trading” — a phenomenon largely unfamiliar to Tamil Nadu politics. So far, six AIADMK legislators have quit and joined the TVK. Governments in the State have traditionally enjoyed comfortable legislative majorities and, even when they fell short of the required numbers, have generally refrained from encouraging defections to secure their position.

The trend began with the shift in loyalty of S. Kamaraj, an MLA of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) led by T. T. V. Dhinakaran. When Chief Minister-designate Mr. Vijay presented to Governor Rajendra Arlekar a letter of support purportedly signed by Mr. Kamaraj, Mr. Dhinakaran alleged that the document had been forged. The allegation, however, was soon disproved when Mr. Kamaraj voted in favour of the government during the confidence motion. He was then expelled from the AMMK.

What surprised political observers even more was the defection of MLAs from the AIADMK, a party that ruled Tamil Nadu for decades under towering leaders such as M. G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. Within days of the election results, three MLAs — Maragatham Kumaravel, S. Jayakumar and P. Sathyabama — met Speaker J. C. D. Prabhakar and submitted their resignation letters. They were followed by Esakki Subaya. All of them joined the TVK right after.

More striking, however, was the decision of senior AIADMK leaders and former Ministers, including C. Vijayabaskar, M. R. Vijayabhaskar and Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan (former MLA), to cross over to the ruling party. While they blamed former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami for their decision, their actions suggest a broader political calculation. They appear to have concluded that the bipolar political order that long defined Tamil Nadu — dominated by the AIADMK and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) — has come to an end with the rise of the TVK, and that an AIADMK bereft of a charismatic leader has little prospect of regaining power.

Counter allegations

As the trend continued, the DMK accused the TVK of inducing two of its MLAs — S. Austin and Anbazhagan — to resign their seats and join the ruling party. The allegation came close on the heels of the TVK’s charge that former Minister V. Senthilbalaji had attempted to lure its MLA N. Elaiyaraja with an offer of ₹35 crore. The police subsequently arrested a few persons in connection with the TVK’s complaint. The DMK also alleged that the TVK had sought to persuade two MLAs (who contested on its symbol), originally from the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, to resign and recontest.

The spate of resignations, which began barely 20 days after the formation of the new government, evoked strong reactions from the communist parties. They described the developments as an unhealthy trend that could undermine democratic norms. Yet they appear to have little influence over the unfolding events, watching helplessly as the political drama continues to play out day after day.