Chennai, May 16:
Amid ongoing political speculation in Tamil Nadu, D Ravikumar has strongly opposed any move to offer Cabinet positions to AIADMK legislators who backed the ruling government during the recent trust vote.
Addressing Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in a post, Ravikumar said such a decision would be ethically and morally wrong, even if it may not immediately violate constitutional provisions.
The controversy stems from the actions of 25 breakaway MLAs from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam who voted in favour of the government, defying the party whip. Ravikumar pointed out that their conduct could attract disqualification under the anti-defection law, as outlined in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
Citing a Supreme Court ruling in the Subhash Desai case, he emphasised that only the party leadership — in this case, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami — has the authority to appoint a whip and issue binding directions to legislators. Any deviation from such directives, he noted, could invite legal consequences.
He argued that legality alone should not determine political decisions. Stressing the importance of constitutional morality and democratic ethics, Ravikumar suggested a “cleaner” course of action — that the rebel MLAs should resign, formally join the ruling party, and seek a fresh mandate from the people through by-elections.