Chennai, 16 June (H.S.):Former Tamil Nadu Health Minister and Viralimala MLA C. Vijayabaskar on Tuesday resigned from the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, dealing another blow to the AIADMK and fuelling fresh speculation over his political future amid continuing churn within the party.
Vijayabaskar submitted his resignation letter to Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, who later accepted the resignation. The move comes against the backdrop of lingering tensions within the AIADMK despite the recent reunification of factions led by party General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and senior leader S.P. Velumani.
The party had witnessed a major internal crisis after a group of legislators aligned with the Velumani camp extended support to the ruling TVK-led coalition in the Assembly, triggering a split within the organisation. Although the rival camps eventually merged following prolonged negotiations, political observers believe differences continue to persist among certain leaders.
Vijayabaskar had for several weeks hinted at dissatisfaction with the party leadership through a series of posts on social media. On Monday, he remarked that leaderships which treat sincere and hardworking party workers as adversaries and view questioning as a crime cannot succeed. He said history remembers leaders who united people rather than those who expelled them.
In another post on Tuesday morning, he questioned whether a leadership that failed to win the confidence of dedicated party workers could expect to earn the trust of the wider public. He also stressed that political movements cannot grow in an atmosphere where emotions and sentiments are ignored.
While Vijayabaskar has not announced his next political move, speculation remains strong that he could continue to align himself with the TVK-led political camp. Neither side has officially confirmed any such development.
His resignation is the fifth by an AIADMK MLA since the 2026 Assembly elections. With his exit, the party’s strength in the 234-member Assembly has fallen to 42, further weakening its position as it seeks to rebuild after its poor electoral performance earlier this year.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman