Madras High Court upholds Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker’s decision to accept resignations of six AIADMK MLAs
The Madras High Court has upheld the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker's decision to accept the resignations of six AIADMK MLAs who joined the ruling TVK party. The court clarified that the Speaker remains authorized to continue pending disqualification proceedings against these members despite their resignations.
Why it matters
This ruling clarifies the constitutional boundaries between a legislator's right to resign and the Speaker's authority to enforce anti-defection laws.
The Madras High Court on Monday (October 13, 2026) upheld the decision of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar to accept the resignations submitted by six AIADMK MLAs, who later joined the ruling TVK.
Pronouncing the orders, the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan said, the resignations tendered by the six MLAs between May 26, 2026, and June 29, 2026, were genuine and voluntary and complied with the provisions under Schedule X of the Constitution.
The judges also said, the Speaker was not required to conduct a roving or a detailed inquiry to find out the motives behind the resignations and recorded his submission that he did, in fact, conduct a limited inquiry to find out whether the resignations were genuine and voluntary.
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