Inducting Rebel AIADMK MLAs as Ministers Raises Moral Questions: VCK’s Ravikumar

VCK general secretary D. Ravikumar on Friday objected to reports suggesting that breakaway AIADMK MLAs who supported the Vijay-led TVK government in the recent trust vote could be inducted as ministers, saying the move raises “serious questions of political morality and ethical propriety.”

The controversy comes in the wake of a trust vote on May 13 , in which 25 AIADMK MLAs broke ranks and voted in favour of the TVK government, helping it secure 144 seats , comfortably crossing the majority mark of 118 . AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has alleged that the MLAs were swayed by the lure of ministerial posts, a charge denied by the rebel legislators.

Ravikumar, speaking on X, said that while there is currently no direct constitutional bar on appointing such MLAs as ministers, their conduct may attract disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, the anti-defection law that deals with legislators violating the party whip or defecting from their party . He stressed that the party leadership alone has the authority to issue binding whips to legislators.

Citing Supreme Court rulings, including Subhash Desai vs State of Maharashtra, he noted that disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule must be considered alongside Article 164(1-B), which restricts ministerial appointment only after formal disqualification. However, he warned that legal permissibility alone is not sufficient in matters of democratic ethics.

Ravikumar said the “cleaner constitutional course” would be for the MLAs to resign their seats , join TVK formally, and seek a fresh mandate through bypolls. He added that the key question is ultimately political: whether voters would accept such defections if they return under a different party banner.