Tamil Nadu Minister for Energy Resources and Law CTR Nirmal Kumar
| Photo Credit:
Johan Sathyadas J
Three men have been arrested for attempting to bribe a TVK MLA to vote against Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar in a no-confidence motion during the next Assembly session.
A senior official of the Greater Chennai Police said Uthangarai MLA N. Elaiyaraja had lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner a few days ago. The complainant said a man named Thirunavukkarasu had contacted him, claiming that he was running an opinion polling firm called Indian Political Democratic Strategies (IPDS) and was reaching out at the behest of a major political party to arrange an in-person meeting. Mr. Elaiyaraja, however, disconnected the call, citing other engagements.
Thirunavukkarasu contacted him again and claimed that a no-confidence motion was being brought against the Speaker. He asked Mr. Elaiyaraja to act in a specified manner during the vote on the motion, and promised a reward of up to ₹35 crore.
Refusing to do so, Elaiyaraja told the caller not to contact him again. Thirunavukkarasu then threatened Elaiyaraja with dire consequences if he disclosed the conversation to anyone.
Consequently, the MLA lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner on June 29 and sought legal action against Thirunavukkarasu. Based on the complaint, the Triplicane police filed a case and arrested Thirunavukkarasu of Arumbakkam, Naresh of Tiruchi, and Thiagarajan of Medavakkam.
Further enquiries revealed that V Ashok Kumar, the brother of Coimbatore South MLA and former DMK Minister V. Senthilbalaji, had met Naresh in Chennai.
Meanwhile, Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar alleged that DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin had entrusted M Senthilbalaji with the task of “luring” TVK MLAs by offering them up to ₹50 crore with the intention of toppling the government.
Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat, Nirmalkumar claimed that several TVK MLAs were approached by alleged associates of Senthilbalaji and his brother. Offering the TVK MLAs up to ₹50 crore, they had told them that the DMK was planning to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker and had asked them to vote in support of the motion, he alleged.
He said one of the TVK MLAs who received such an offer lodged a complaint, based on which three persons were arrested. “That is why Stalin keeps saying that the government will not last long, and that elections will be held soon. The people of Tamil Nadu should closely watch what they are doing. After looting thousands of crores [of rupees] in the past five years, they are unable to remain idle, and are trying to purchase MLAs,” Nirmalkumar said.
“Is Mr. Stalin not ashamed of trying to buy MLAs? The people have already rejected him. Even his alliance partners have left after seeing the kind of politics the DMK indulges in, such as the attempt to make Edappadi K. Palaniswami the Chief Minister,” he said.
According to him, the TVK MLAs did not spend ₹500 crore or ₹1,000 crore “like the DMK MLAs” and became legislators by spending only ₹3 lakh or ₹4 lakh. “We will contest the next election in the same manner. The people voted for us because they had complete faith in us. Unlike you [the DMK], we did not distribute ₹2,000 per vote, or spend ₹70 crore in each constituency,” he said.
He claimed that those who saw no political future in the DMK and the AIADMK were leaving those parties.
Replying to a question on the pendency of corruption cases against former AIADMK Ministers C. Vijayabaskar and M.R. Vijayabhaskar, who are set to join the TVK, Nirmalkumar said the law will take its course.
When asked about the allegations made by the Minister, DMK organisation secretary RS Bharathi said they were only meant to counter the party’s complaint to the Governor, seeking an inquiry into the alleged horse-trading of MLAs by the ruling TVK.
“The TVK has made baseless allegations, whereas we have submitted a complaint supported by adequate proof. When the police acted on the TVK’s complaint and arrested a person, why is the same yardstick not being applied to our complaint,” he asked.
Published on July 1, 2026
