A new political controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu after one of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLAs claimed that he and several other party MLAs were offered ₹35 crore each to switch allegiance in order to topple the Vijay-led government.
The complaint was filed by TVK MLA Ilaiyaraaja, which led police to register a case and arrest three persons in connection with horse trading. The accused have been identified as Naresh, Thirunavukkarasu and Thiagarajan.
According to the complaint, the accused approached him and other legislators with a cash offer of ₹35 crore to vote against the ruling party and bring down the government. A legislator said this was part of a coordinated conspiracy to split TVK's legislative ranks.
In an updated press note, the money has been offered for influencing MLAs before a proposed no-confidence motion against the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker.
TVK is very serious about political rivals
TVK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar accused leaders of the ruling DMK and the AIADMK of trying to engineer defections in the party. The media reported DMK president M.K. Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, and Minister V. Senthil Balaji were behind efforts to contact TVK legislators.
He said TVK MLAs have been offered amounts ranging from ₹10 crore to ₹50 crore over the last 40 days to induce them to defect. The party also claimed that the reported offer of ₹35 crore was a part of a bigger conspiracy to destabilise the Vijay government and demanded a high-level investigation into the matter.
Three Arrested, Investigation Underway
The three suspects were arrested and questioned by the police following the complaint.
The accused claimed in interrogations that they were acting on instructions from senior political leaders like DMK leader V. Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok, the investigators said.
But those allegations have not been independently verified and no formal charges have been framed against the political leaders named. Authorities have not confirmed any direct involvement of the individuals mentioned in the statements.
Police officials said the three arrested people were still under interrogation and there was no ruling out further arrests based on the evidence collected during the investigation.
Police Examining Digital Evidence
The officials confirmed that a case has been registered based on the MLA’s complaint and that investigators are checking digital evidence, mobile phone records and call data to confirm the allegations.
Police are also looking into electronic communications to determine if there are any organized efforts to influence elected representatives. The investigation is ongoing and no conclusions have been made about the complainant's claim or the accused's comments, the police statement says.
The allegations have brought a new political flashpoint to the forefront in Tamil Nadu and the opposition and ruling class are expected to respond as the investigation proceeds. If there is any proof against or in favor of TVK’s claims it could have a huge impact politically.
