CHENNAI: A two-day orientation programme for Members of the Legislative Assembly began at Kalaivanar Arangam here on Tuesday, with Speaker JCD Prabhakar hailing the present dispensation as a ‘Vijay Model Government’ even as the event witnessed a complete boycott by the DMK and limited participation from the AIADMK.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay inaugurated the programme. The workshop has been organised to familiarise legislators, particularly the 146 first-time MLAs elected in the 2026 Assembly polls, with Assembly procedures, parliamentary conventions and rules governing debates inside the House.
Senior officials from the Finance, Law and Legislative Assembly departments addressed participants on legislative practices, conduct within the Assembly and procedural norms. Though Speaker Prabhakar had invited all legislators to attend, the principal opposition parties largely stayed away.
While TVK ministers and MLAs attended in full strength, alliance representatives from the VCK, IUML and Congress were also present. PMK MLA Sowmiya Anbumani and BJP legislator M Bhojarajan, both from the AIADMK-led alliance, participated in the programme.
No DMK MLA attended the session. However, legislators from the MDMK and KMDK, both aligned with the DMK front, took part. AIADMK’s participation was restricted to Sankarapuram MLA R Rakesh, who emerged as the lone representative from the party. Even members of the AIADMK faction that had backed the TVK government during the trust vote skipped the programme. Communist and DMDK legislators too remained absent.
Addressing the gathering, Speaker Prabhakar said the sessions were intended to guide legislators on “what can be spoken in the Assembly, what should be avoided and how debates must be conducted.”
In remarks carrying clear political significance, he described the present administration as a “Vijay Model Government” and said Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had proved his political strength decisively in the electoral arena.
Recalling his maiden Assembly speech in 1980, Prabhakar narrated how former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran had intervened to defend the spirit of his remarks during a contentious debate, stressing the importance of restraint, language and parliamentary decorum in legislative proceedings.
The sessions began at 10.30 am on Tuesday and will continue on Wednesday.