Tamil Nadu Police have arrested three people after a TVK MLA alleged he was offered ₹35 crore to vote against the Assembly Speaker. The case has intensified the political battle between the ruling TVK and the opposition DMK.
Chennai: The political temperature in Tamil Nadu has soared after a TVK legislator alleged he was offered ₹35 crore to switch sides, triggering police action and opening a new chapter in the bitter rivalry between Vijay's government and the DMK.
Tamil Nadu Police have arrested three people in connection with an alleged horse-trading attempt after a TVK MLA claimed he was offered ₹35 crore to vote against the Assembly Speaker.
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The case has triggered fresh political confrontation between the ruling TVK and the opposition DMK. The arrests were made after TVK MLA N. Ilaiyaraja filed a complaint with the Chennai Police Commissioner on June 29.
According to the police, one of the accused, Thirunavukkarasu, allegedly contacted the legislator claiming to represent an organisation called Indian Political Democratic Strategies (IPDS) and said he was acting on behalf of members of a major political party.
MLA alleges ₹35 crore offer
In his complaint, Ilaiyaraja alleged that he was asked to vote against the ruling party during a proposed motion involving the Assembly Speaker.
He claimed he was offered up to ₹35 crore in return. After refusing the offer, the MLA alleged he was threatened with consequences for himself and his family if he revealed the conversation.
Police said their investigation led to the arrest of three individuals.
Senthil Balaji and brother named in probe
In a statement, Tamil Nadu Police said preliminary investigations indicated that one of the arrested accused had met V. Ashok Kumar, brother of former DMK minister V. Senthil Balaji, in Chennai.
Investigators alleged that Thirunavukkarasu contacted the TVK MLA at the behest of Senthil Balaji and Ashok Kumar. However, the allegations remain under investigation, and no court has established their guilt.
Political war intensifies
The case has further escalated the political confrontation between the ruling TVK and the opposition DMK.
Tamil Nadu minister R. Nirmal Kumar alleged that the DMK had been trying to poach TVK legislators for over a month and claimed that several MLAs had been approached with financial offers.
The DMK, however, rejected the accusations and mounted a counterattack.
Party organising secretary R.S. Bharathi submitted a complaint to Governor R.N. Ravi, alleging that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and MDMK leader Vaiko had attempted to persuade two DMK-backed MLAs to resign from the Assembly by promising political support in future by-elections.
The DMK has sought an independent inquiry into its allegations.
The controversy comes just months after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, in which C. Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won 108 seats in its electoral debut, ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK-led alliances.
With political rivalry intensifying after the change in government, the competing allegations of MLA poaching have become one of the state's biggest political flashpoints. Police investigations into the TVK complaint are ongoing, while the DMK has demanded a separate probe into its counter-allegations.
Published: 01 Jul 2026, 04:19 pm IST
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