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The AIADMK suffered a major blow on Monday as three of its sitting MLAs resigned from their posts to switch allegiance to the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

Legislators Maragadham Kumaravel, Jayakumar, and Sathyabama met with Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar to formally tender their resignations. The trio, known to be key loyalists within the C.V. Shanmugam faction of the AIADMK, has officially joined the TVK and met with TVK Minister Aadhav Arjuna to formalize their entry. Speaker JCD Prabhakar has also accepted the resignation of the trio.
 

Following these high-profile exits, the AIADMK's strength in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has dropped significantly, leaving the party with just 44 MLAs.

The mass resignations have also led to a political realignment within the main opposition party with five MLAs from the C.V. Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani factions reportedly closed ranks and joined back with party chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS).

However, in another significant development, senior AIADMK leader Agri Krishnamoorthy, alongside ten other EPS-faction MLAs, has met with the TVK leadership, signaling further potential turbulence for the AIADMK.

The sudden resignation of the three lawmakers means that their respective constituencies will now fall vacant, setting the stage for crucial assembly by-elections across the state.

Election observers point out that apart from Trichy East, the state will now head to by-elections in the assembly seats of Maduranthakam, Perundhurai, and Tarapuram. The upcoming multi-seat by-polls are expected to serve as a major litmus test for both the weakened AIADMK and the rapidly expanding TVK.