Tamil Nadu State Law and Electricity Minister, Nirmal Kumar alleged that leaders linked to both Dravidian parties were approaching Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLAs with lucrative offers. He also accused DMK president MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin of being involved in the alleged attempts.
The DMK, AIADMK and BJP have denied the allegations. The DMK, in turn, has accused the ruling party of surviving through horse-trading, pointing to the resignation and subsequent switch to the TVK by six sitting AIADMK MLAs after the Assembly elections. Police had also booked the brother of former DMK minister V Senthil Balaji in connection with the case. The latest allegations have been strongly contested by the DMK. Responding to the minister’s charges, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan rejected the suggestion that either the DMK or AIADMK had any reason to purchase TVK legislators. He accused the ruling party of itself resorting to horse-trading to stay in power. The DMK also invoked what it described as the TVK’s ‘sofa model’, alleging that the government had benefited from resignations and subsequent switches by AIADMK legislators. Six sitting AIADMK MLAs resigned and subsequently joined the TVK after the Assembly elections, triggering allegations of political inducements. The TVK has rejected charges of horse-trading. The date marks six months since the minority TVK government proved its majority in the Assembly, potentially opening the way for another confidence motion.
The minister further claimed that offers had gone up to Rs 60-70 crore, but insisted that no TVK legislator would accept the money or switch sides. In July, Tamil Nadu Police had arrested eight people, including a pollster, for allegedly offering Rs 35 crore to a TVK MLA to vote against the government in a proposed no-confidence motion. The political temperature is rising as November 13 approaches.
