A fresh row has erupted around the TVK-led government in Tamil Nadu. According to New Indian Express, Madurai Central MLA Madhar Badrudeen told reporters on Wednesday that the AIADMK and the DMK offered him Rs 15 crore to vote against the government whenever another floor test is held in the Assembly.
What the MLA said
Speaking to the media at Madurai airport, Badrudeen alleged that the DMK and the AIADMK have teamed up to unseat the government by buying over legislators. He claimed the DMK had tried this earlier through Senthil Balaji, and that the AIADMK has now come on board.
Importantly, he did not name the person who approached him. He said he had informed the TVK high command. Asked whether a police complaint had been filed, he did not say yes or no. He only said the person behind the offer would come to light in a day or two. Until that happens, the claim rests on his word alone.
The minister's bigger claims
Later the same day, Law Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar went further, according to the report. He said the DMK and the AIADMK had joined hands with the BJP to destabilise the government, and that opposition parties were making offers of up to Rs 70 crore to poach TVK MLAs.
Kumar also claimed that people involved in the alleged horse trading had already been arrested, that hawala money was used, and that funds were routed through Bengaluru. He said an investigation is under way. The report does not say who was arrested or what charges were filed, and no police statement is quoted. Fans should treat these as the minister's claims, not established findings.
He added that the DMK and the AIADMK are considering a common candidate in the upcoming bypolls, and that the plan could be dropped only if opposition emerged from within either party. This, too, is his assertion about the rivals' intentions, with no response from either party in the source.
Gaps worth noting
The two sets of figures differ: Rs 15 crore in Badrudeen's account and up to Rs 70 crore in the minister's. They may refer to different offers, but the report does not explain this. Neither the DMK, the AIADMK nor the BJP is quoted in the piece, so their side is missing. We will update this story if responses or police details emerge.
Why it matters for TVK supporters
Badrudeen's reference to "another floor test" signals that the government's numbers in the Assembly are an ongoing talking point. For a party that Thalapathy Vijay built from scratch and which is now running the state, holding its MLAs together is an early test of discipline, regardless of how these allegations turn out.
Allegations of defection money are a familiar feature of Indian politics, and they cut both ways. Claims need evidence, and the promised arrests and investigation will be the real measure. Supporters would do well to wait for official confirmation before treating any of this as settled.
We will follow the story as the promised details surface.
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