The resignation of three AIADMK MLAs and their joining the ruling TVK on Monday (May 25, 2026), is not the first such instance in Tamil Nadu. Nonetheless, it stands out because they were elected just over a fortnight ago and the TVK is short of a majority in the House.

In March 2009, N. Ramakrishnan, who was elected from Cumbum on a MDMK ticket as part of an AIADMK front candidate in 2006, had resigned his Assembly membership. Incidentally, at that time the DMK too was short of a majority in the House. He had accused the MDMK leadership of suspecting him. “I, as a loyalist, I cannot tolerate it,” he told journalists.

He was then fielded by the DMK from the same Cumbum constituency in the by-election held in August 2009 and emerged victorious. Thus the DMK won the seat after a gap of two decades.

The same month former Minister Anita Radhakrishnan, who was elected from Tiruchendur on an AIADMK ticket, submitted his resignation to the Speaker R. Avudaiappan. He too joined the DMK and was fielded from the same seat in the bypolls held in December that year. Mr Radhakrishnan won the by-election by a margin of 46,861 votes.