The alleged plot to topple the TVK government led by Joseph Vijay in Tamil Nadu has blown into an all-out political slugfest, with the TVK and its allies trading charges with the opposition DMK and AIADMK.
Chennai Police on Wednesday arrested three persons based on a complaint by a TVK MLA who alleged he was offered 350 million Indian Rupees by a consultancy firm to back a motion against the Assembly Speaker. One of the three arrested is said to be close to DMK MLA Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok.
According to agencies, the plot involved engineering the simultaneous resignation of 15 TVK MLAs to bring down the Vijay-led government.
An FIR has now been filed against Balaji's brother Ashok for allegedly attempting to bribe TVK MLA N Elaiyaraja.
TVK: ‘DMK Caught Red-Handed’
The TVK lashed out at the DMK for allegedly trying to destabilise the government by "buying out MLAs". The party claimed that over the last 40 days, several TVK MLAs have been approached by the DMK.
Tamil Nadu Minister and senior TVK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar accused the DMK of indulging in "horse-trading" and said the party has now been caught "red-handed".
"DMK is trying to poach our MLAs. It has now been caught red-handed by police. They tried to purchase our MLA for Rs 35 crore. The DMK has been trying to poach our MLAs for the last 40 days. Even our alliance party MLAs were approached," Nirmal Kumar said.
He directly accused former chief minister MK Stalin and Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi of trying to engineer a crisis. "A close associate of Senthil Balaji threatened our MLA. Stalin and Udhayanidhi are behind this. To hide this, they are blaming TVK, saying we are doing horse-trading. We never involve ourselves in horse-trading. We are comfortable with our allies' support," he added.
DMK, AIADMK Hit Back
The opposition DMK and AIADMK hit back at the TVK. The DMK alleged that Vijay has failed to deliver on his promises and the TVK is making baseless allegations to hide its failures.
"Vijay has not fulfilled any of his promises. They (TVK alliance) are now involved in horse-trading. Why should MK Stalin retire with such a useless CM in power?" DMK leader TKS Elangovan said.
The AIADMK also attacked the Vijay-led TVK, claiming the party has been poaching MLAs from rivals. Several AIADMK MLAs have recently switched to the TVK.
"Between poaching MLAs from rival parties through horse-trading and bringing into their 'sofa alliance' the very parties they once branded as a 'cash-box alliance' before the elections, one is left wondering where the people's welfare stands in all of this," AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami posted on X.
Allies Back TVK
TVK allies, however, attacked the DMK. The Congress questioned why the DMK is "afraid of sitting in opposition" and trying to bring down the Vijay government.
"Why is the DMK so afraid of sitting in opposition? What do they want to hide? Why is the DMK scared and wants to betray the people's mandate? Why is the DMK in such a hurry to form the government?" asked Congress MP Praveen Chakravarty.
Another ally, VCK, which switched loyalties from the DMK to the TVK after the polls, said its support to the TVK government is for five years. "I am not aware of the TVK's allegations of DMK poaching. Allies have expressed their commitment to the TVK government. Allies will support TVK for the next five years. Resignations of MLAs are not a healthy sign. Encouraging such acts is not a good thing," VCK leader SS Balaji said.
Source: NDTV
– Agencies
