A fresh political storm has erupted in Tamil Nadu less than two months after actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s Thamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) formed the government following its strong showing in the 2026 Assembly elections. A sitting TVK MLA has alleged that he was offered up to ₹35 crore to support a no-confidence motion against the Assembly Speaker or defect, as part of a larger alleged conspiracy to topple the ruling dispensation through coordinated horse-trading involving multiple legislators.
On 29 June 2026, TVK MLA N. Elaiyaraja from Uthangarai constituency in Krishnagiri district filed a complaint with the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner. He alleged that C. Thirunavukkarasu, linked to a consultancy/opinion polling outfit called Indian Political Democratic Strategies (IPDS), contacted him and offered a massive bribe to vote in a particular manner on a proposed resolution or no-confidence motion against Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar (a TVK leader).
Elaiyaraja reportedly rejected the offer outright and asked the caller not to contact him again. He claims he was then threatened with severe consequences for himself and his family if he disclosed the conversation. The complaint was backed by evidence, including call records. TVK leaders say this was not an isolated attempt. They allege a broader plot to engineer the simultaneous resignation or cross-voting of 10 - 15 TVK MLAs, which would have triggered a constitutional crisis and potentially brought down the Vijay government.
Police Action and Arrests
Chennai Police acted quickly, registering a case and arresting three persons:
-C. Thirunavukkarasu (Arumbakkam, Chennai) - the primary contact from IPDS.
-Naresh (also referred to as Ramesh, a businessman from the Tiruchirappalli/Karur region).
-Thiyagarajan (Medavakkam, Chennai).
The arrested individuals are described as close aides or associates connected to DMK leader and former minister V. Senthil Balaji. Investigations revealed that V. Ashok Kumar, Senthil Balaji’s brother, met one of the accused in Chennai. Raids, including at premises linked to Ashok Kumar in Karur, yielded documents. Ashok Kumar is currently absconding, and a manhunt is on. Further questioning and possible arrests are expected as police scrutinise call detail records and financial trails. State intelligence is also said to have played a role in foiling what TVK describes as a larger destabilisation effort.
TVK Minister P. Nirmal Kumar (also reported as C.T./CTR Nirmal Kumar) strongly condemned the episode and placed it in the context of sustained attempts by the opposition over the past 40 days. In a statement to the media, he said:
“We have been saying continuously for the last 40 days that the DMK, Stalin, and his team have been trying to poach our MLAs. A few days ago, one of our MLAs was threatened by DMK members. This was backed by Senthil Balaji and his brother, Ashok. With their support, they allegedly offered around ₹35 crore to one of our MLAs and asked him to vote against TVK when a no-confidence motion against the Speaker is brought. That was their request. When he refused, he was allegedly threatened severely by DMK members. He has filed a complaint along with all the evidence. Based on this, the police have arrested three persons. All three are close aides of Senthil Balaji.”
Nirmal Kumar further alleged that offers ranging from ₹10 crore to as high as ₹50 crore were made to several TVK MLAs. He claimed the operation was carried out under the directions of DMK MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin. He said the party had been on alert for over 25 days based on intelligence inputs and accused the DMK of refusing to accept the people’s verdict and colluding with AIADMK elements to topple the government.
DMK’s Response
The DMK has dismissed the allegations as a politically motivated narrative. DMK spokesperson A. Saravanan told NDTV: “TVK just wants to create a public perception by leaking investigation details. This shows they are low on facts and only want to create a narrative.” The party has dared TVK to arrest Senthil Balaji if it has concrete proof. In a counter-move, DMK has accused TVK and Chief Minister Vijay of attempting to poach its own MLAs and has sought a DVAC probe into alleged inducements involving sitting DMK legislators.
Vijay took oath as Chief Minister on 10 May 2026 after TVK’s debut electoral success after winning 108 seats. The episode comes amid longstanding friction between Vijay and Senthil Balaji, including past accusations related to a stampede at a Vijay rally in Karur. The developments have triggered a sharp war of words, with both sides accusing each other of undermining democratic norms through money power and horse-trading.
