CHENNAI: The resignation of two PMK legislators, including its floor leader Sowmiya Anbumani, from the Assembly committee posts has triggered a political storm in the state. Meanwhile, the Congress party declined a committee chairmanship post after instructions from its high command. The party already has 2 cabinet portfolios in the TVK-led government.

Assembly sources said PMK MLA and floor leader Sowmiya Anbumani resigned from the Public Undertakings Committee. Following her, the party's other MLA, A Ganeshkumar, also resigned from the Committee on Rules.

Ganeshkumar refused to comment on the issue and told DT Next that the two MLAs from the party were members of other committees.

Sources in the Assembly said the PMK had been eyeing the chairmanship of a key committee, but the TVK leadership had rejected the party's demand. The ruling party clarified to the PMK that the chairmanship posts would be allotted only to alliance partners.

Following this arrangement, the TVK-led government sought to offer a committee chairmanship to the Congress. However, the Congress declined the post following instructions from its high command in Delhi.

The Congress has been extending support to the TVK-led government and is also part of the Cabinet. The TVK-led government has also allotted chairmanship posts to its alliance partners, including the Left parties. Among the 11 committees, IUML MLA SB Syed Farooq Basha, CPI MLA T Ramachandran, CPM MLA R Chellaswamy and VCK MLA LE Jothimani are holding chairmanship posts in various Assembly committees, including the Public Accounts, Rules, House and Library committees.

The TVK-led government has not allotted any committee chairmanship post to the Opposition DMK, similar to the practice followed during the previous DMK regime, when no committee chairmanship post was given to the then opposition AIADMK.