Tamil Nadu Today newsletter: AIADMK rebel MLAs declare support for TVK

1. Rebellion within AIADMK over support to TVK govt.

A rebel group of the AIADMK, led by former Ministers C.Ve. Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani, declared its support to the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. Mr. Shanmugam accused AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami of having attempted to form a government with the support of the party’s traditional adversary, the DMK, in the aftermath of the election results.

Reacting sharply within hours, the AIADMK, in a post on X, accused the rebels of betraying about 1.34 crore voters who voted for the AIADMK alliance led by Mr. Palaniswami. It further stated that the organisation does not belong to a few MLAs and it is a movement of party workers.

Later in the day, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay who continued to call on leader from various political parties for the second day, visited the residence-office of Mr. Shanmugam and met the other AIADMK MLAs in the rebel camp. 

2. J.C.D. Prabhakar elected as Assembly Speaker

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) J.C.D. Prabhakar, who represents the Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai, was on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 17^th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

M. Ravisankar, the Thuraiyur constituency legislator, was elected unanimously as the Deputy Speaker. No other nominations were received for either post, barring theirs.

3. Dhinakaran expels lone AMMK MLA over support to TVK

Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary T.TV. Dhinakaran announced the expulsion of his party’s lone legislator, S. Kamaraj, of Mannargudi constituency, from the organisation for “anti-party activities.”

Earlier in the day, Mr. Kamaraj, while speaking in the Assembly to welcome the election of Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, extended his support to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government.

4.  CM Vijay orders closure of 717 TASMAC shops 

In a surprise move, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay ordered the closure of 717 State-run liquor shops (TASMAC shops) located within 500 m from educational institutions and places of worship across the State within two weeks.

An official release said, of these 717 shops, 276 are located within 500 m from various places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus terminuses. The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) operates 4,765 retail liquor outlets across the State.

5. Madras HC bars TVK MLA, who won by one vote, from participating in floor test; SC moved

The Madras High Court restrained the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA R. Seenivasa Sethupathy from participating in the trust vote to be held on the floor of the Legislative Assembly 

A summer vacation Bench of Justices L. Victoria Gowri and N. Senthilkumar passed the interim order on an urgent writ petition filed by former DMK Minister K.R. Periakaruppan, who had lost by a single vote to the TVK MLA. The petitioner claimed to have lost the polls because of two constituencies with the same name, ‘Tirupattur,’ in Tamil Nadu.

Within hours of the High Court order, Mr. Sethupathi moved the Supreme Court. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant agreed to list the appeal tomorrow, the day of floor test.

6. Six Kanniyakumari fishermen arrested by Lankan Navy

Six fishermen, all natives of Kanniyakumari district, who had ventured into the sea in country boats from Mandapam, were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy early this morning for trespassing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in the South Mannar region.

According to sources, the six fishermen, though hailing from Kanniyakumari district, had been staying in the Mandapam region since March 30.

7. NEET-UG candidates in Tamil Nadu upset over exam cancellation

The cancellation of the May 3 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) exam has caused distress among candidates in Tamil Nadu. Students pointed out that this is the second such instance in three years.

The NTA cancelled the exam amid allegations of a paper leak, with the Union government directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities.” This decision follows a probe by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) into the leak.