Chennai:
According to officials, the alleged plot involved engineering the simultaneous resignation of 15 TVK MLAs in a bid to bring down the government. Three people have been arrested in connection with the case, two from Chennai and one from Tiruchy, after a complaint was filed by TVK MLA N. Elaiyaraja from Uthangarai.
Elaiyaraja alleged that a person linked to consultancy firm IPDS offered him Rs 35 crore to support a no-confidence motion against Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, a TVK leader. He also claimed he was later threatened and warned not to speak about the offer.
Officials said one of the accused had links to the brother of DMK MLA and former minister Senthil Balaji. Investigators are now examining the alleged network behind the conspiracy.
Tamil Nadu Minister C.T. Nirmal Kumar accused the DMK and AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami of attempting to bring down the Vijay-led government through “underhanded means”. He alleged that several TVK MLAs had been approached with offers ranging from Rs 10 crore to Rs 50 crore.
“Individuals directly associated with Senthil Balaji, as well as those from the so-called Karur Gang, are directly implicated in this matter. The police must take legal action and arrest everyone involved,” Kumar said.
The DMK rejected the allegations, accusing the TVK of leaking details of an ongoing investigation to build a political narrative. DMK spokesperson A. Saravanan said the ruling party should arrest Senthil Balaji if it has concrete evidence.
Vijay and Senthil Balaji have had a strained relationship since a stampede at a Vijay election rally in Karur. Vijay had earlier accused Balaji of conspiring to engineer the incident to discredit him, a charge Balaji denied.
