Chennai, Oct 19:
Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister K A Sengottaiyan has denied the AIADMK’s allegation that he had claimed 15 legislators from the opposition party would join the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). He said he had referred to 15 MLAs joining TVK but had never specified that they would come from the AIADMK.
Responding to questions about his earlier remarks and the AIADMK’s complaint to the Governor, Sengottaiyan challenged the party to produce evidence that he had specifically named AIADMK legislators. He described the allegation as fabricated and said he would not respond to claims that misrepresented his statement.
The controversy follows accusations by the AIADMK that the minister’s remarks amounted to an attempt to encourage defections from the opposition party. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had criticised the developments, prompting Sengottaiyan to reiterate that the internal affairs of the AIADMK should be resolved by its own factions rather than involving him.
Sengottaiyan, who was expelled from the AIADMK before joining TVK, also said his expulsion had proved to be a blessing because he would not have become a minister had he remained in his former party.
Rejecting the charge of horse-trading, the minister argued that politicians changing party affiliations was a familiar feature of electoral politics. He pointed out that leaders had moved between parties during the tenure of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as well.
The dispute comes amid political speculation over TVK’s efforts to strengthen its position and the possibility of further movement among legislators. Sengottaiyan maintained that his statement had been misrepresented and that he had not singled out the AIADMK as the source of the 15 legislators he referred to.