VCK appeals to T.N. CM Vijay not to induct AIADMK rebels into his Cabinet

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) general secretary and Villupuram MP D. Ravikumar on Friday (May 15, 2026) urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay against inducting the MLAs from the breakaway faction of the AIADMK into his Cabinet, as it would “raise serious questions of political morality and ethical propriety.”

In a statement, Mr. Ravikumar said that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami alone possesses the authority to appoint the party Whip, which has been affirmed by the Supreme Court in the Subhash Desai v. State of Maharashtra judgment.

“The Court categorically held: the political party and not the legislature party appoints the Whip and the Leader of the party in the House. Further, the direction to vote in a particular manner or to abstain from voting is issued by the political party and not the legislature party. Therefore, the whip issued by the AIADMK leadership is binding upon all members elected on the party ticket. Any MLA who defies such a whip is liable to face disqualification proceedings under Paragraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule,” observed Mr. Ravikumar.

While there was no immediate constitutional prohibition against appointing some of these MLAs as Ministers, he argued that legality alone cannot be the sole test in matters affecting constitutional morality and democratic ethics.

“If the Chief Minister nevertheless intends to induct them into the Ministry, the only constitutionally cleaner course would be for those MLAs to resign their seats, join the TVK formally, and seek a fresh mandate from the people through by-elections,” he said.

“Ultimately, the decisive question is political rather than legal: will the people accept such defections and re-elect those MLAs under a different party banner? That alone will test the legitimacy of such a political course,” Mr. Ravikumar said.