CHENNAI — AIADMK MLA CV Shanmugam alleged on the day of the Tamil Nadu assembly floor test in Chennai that no party MLAs had signed a resolution opposing support for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leader CM Vijay and that a letter presented by party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to the Speaker was forged. The TVK-led group passed the floor test with 144 votes, including the support of 25 AIADMK MLAs. The Vijay-led TVK had the support of 120 MLAs during the floor test before the additional support from AIADMK legislators carried the vote to 144.

"On behalf of AIADMK, 25 MLAs have supported TVK Leader TN CM Vijay. EPS is lying on the issue of the signature of 47 MLAs on the resolution not to support TVK," Shanmugam said.

Palaniswami had stated that 47 AIADMK MLAs signed a resolution not to support the TVK during the floor test. Shanmugam disputed that account, saying the MLAs had signed for another session and not for the reasons claimed by Palaniswami. He said no party resolution was passed directing members not to support the TVK, and alleged that Palaniswami had lured MLAs by offering ministerial posts while expecting support from the DMK.

Shanmugam also said no meeting of party MLAs was held to elect the assembly leader, deputy leader and whip, and that no MLAs had signed a resolution confirming Palaniswami as the legislative party leader. Palaniswami had said he was elected as the assembly leader.

On the question of the party whip, Shanmugam said party MLAs had elected C Vijaya Bhaskar as the AIADMK Whip in the Tamil Nadu assembly, and that the whip could not be appointed directly by the party's general secretary. Palaniswami had said that a different appointment had been made.

"We appointed Krishnamoorthy as the party whip, and it was informed to all the MLAs about it. This is entirely against the law," Palaniswami said, referring to the actions of the AIADMK legislators who backed the TVK.

Palaniswami said the 47 AIADMK MLAs who won in the assembly elections were elected under the 'Two Leaves' symbol. "Instead of remaining loyal to the party, they have betrayed it. Their desire to become ministers has led them to act against the party leadership's directives," he said.