Tamil Nadu Political Crisis: 3 Arrested Over Alleged ₹35 Crore Bribe Bid To Topple Vijay Government; TVK Blames DMK

Chennai: The Chennai police on Wednesday arrested three persons including a pollster on charges of attempting to bribe a ruling TVK MLA allegedly to get him to vote in favour of a future motion against Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar. 

Law Minister T Nirmalkumar claimed DMK president M K Stalin and Leader of Opposition had assigned former Minister Senthilbalaji and his brother Ashokumar to indulge in horse trading to bring down the 50-day old coalition Government headed by C Joseph Vijay. 

In a separate development, the DMK, petitioned the Governor seeking to order a probe into alleged attempt by the ruling TVK to purchase two of its MLAs.

The police claimed a pollster Thirunavukkarasu, who runs an organisation Indian Political Democratic Strategies, had acted on behalf of Ashokumar and reached out to Uthangarai TVK MLA N Ilayaraja offering him up to Rs 35 crore. The MLA had submitted a complaint at the Triplicane Police Station alleging when he turned down the offer, Thirunavukkarasu warned him of dire consequences if he revealed this to anyone. 

Acting on the complaint, the police arrested Thirunavukkarasu and two of his associates.  

Minister Nirmalkumar claimed the DMK leadership was attempting to lure the TVK MLAs by offering them up to Rs 50 crore each. “It is against this backdrop that Stalin has been claiming the Government will not last for six months,” he alleged. 

Meanwhile, the DMK cited MDMK leader Vaiko’s public claim that the Chief Minister had informed him to get his party’s two MLAs – who had contested on the DMK’s symbol (hence technically they were its legislators), to resign with an assurance that he (Vijay) would campaign and ensure their victory in the by-elections. In its representation to the Governor, it said this amounted to horse trading and attempt to purchase these two MLAs and sought a DVAC probe into it.