Chennai, July 3:
In a major political development in Tamil Nadu, the alleged plot to poach legislators from the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has taken a new turn, with the Greater Chennai Police claiming that a corporate firm was actively involved in the conspiracy and had earmarked nearly Rs 180 crore to execute the plan.
According to investigators, the accused, along with political operatives, stayed at star hotels in Guindy and along the East Coast Road, where key discussions were held. The expenses for these stays were reportedly borne by the corporate entity, which is also said to have arranged substantial funds to lure MLAs.
The case came to light after TVK MLA N. Ilayaraja from Uthangarai constituency lodged a complaint with the Chennai Police Commissioner, stating that he was approached by an individual offering Rs 35 crore to vote against Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar.
Following the complaint, police registered a case and arrested several individuals, including Thirunavukkarasu, Naresh, and Thiagarajan. Based on their interrogation, more arrests were made, taking the total number of accused in custody to nine so far.
Police sources indicated that former minister V. Senthilbalaji and his brother V. Ashok Kumar are suspected to be key figures behind the alleged attempt to destabilise the state government.
Amid mounting legal pressure, Ashok Kumar has approached the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail. In his petition, he denied all allegations, claiming that the case is a politically motivated conspiracy against him and that he has no connection to the alleged poaching attempt.
The petition is expected to come up for hearing soon before the High Court. Meanwhile, the case has sparked intense political debate across the state, with further revelations anticipated as the investigation progresses.