Supreme Court backs T.N. Speaker’s decision to drop disqualification proceedings against AIADMK MLAs

The Supreme Court on Friday (October 9, 2026) declined to intervene in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker’s decision to close disqualification proceedings against a group of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) legislators who had supported C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government during the trust vote in May. The court observed that the Speaker’s decision could not be challenged by an “interloper”.

A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana dismissed a plea filed by advocate P.V. Selvakumar, while observing that the sanctity of the constitutional mandate under the Tenth Schedule, which contains the anti-defection law, must be preserved.

“We are fully with you that sanctity of constitutional mandate must be preserved. But we must understand workings of a democratic system,” the Bench said.

Mr. Selvakumar approached the Supreme Court after the Madras High Court rejected his petition challenging the Speaker’s June 9 decision to drop the disqualification proceedings against the AIADMK legislators.

Party leader’s letter

The Speaker had acted on a May 27 letter from the party’s general secretary seeking withdrawal of the proceedings. The High Court had held that Mr. Selvakumar, being a third party to the dispute, had no locus standi to interfere in the internal affairs of the AIADMK.