Three Held Over Alleged ₹35 Crore Conspiracy To Topple Vijay Government

The Tamil Nadu government has claimed to have foiled an alleged conspiracy to destabilise the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, less than two months after it assumed office. According to state intelligence sources, the alleged plan involved persuading 15 TVK MLAs to resign simultaneously, a move that could have threatened the government's majority in the Assembly. The investigation began after a complaint from a ruling party legislator, leading to the arrest of three individuals as officials continue to probe the alleged conspiracy and any wider network involved.

The case came to light after Uthangarai MLA N. Elaiyaraja approached the Chennai Police, alleging that a representative of consultancy firm IPDS offered him Rs 35 crore to support a no-confidence motion against Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar, who is also a senior TVK leader. The MLA further claimed he was threatened and warned against revealing the alleged offer. Acting on the complaint, investigators arrested one employee of the consultancy firm in Chennai, while two others were later taken into custody in Karur. Authorities are questioning the accused to determine the extent of the alleged operation.

During the investigation, officials reportedly traced links between some of the arrested individuals and DMK MLA Senthil Balaji. Sources told NDTV that one of those arrested is believed to be close to Balaji and his brother Ashok. However, no formal charges have been announced against the senior DMK leader. Police have not disclosed further details regarding the evidence collected so far, and the investigation remains ongoing as authorities examine whether more people were involved in the alleged attempt to influence legislators.

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The allegations have triggered a sharp political confrontation between the ruling TVK and the opposition DMK. Tamil Nadu Minister C.T. Nirmal Kumar alleged that individuals associated with Senthil Balaji and the so-called "Karur Gang" played a direct role in the alleged conspiracy. He demanded strict legal action against everyone involved and further accused the DMK of working with AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami to bring down the TVK government. Kumar also claimed that several TVK MLAs had been approached with offers ranging from Rs 10 crore to Rs 50 crore to defect, though these allegations have not been independently verified.

The DMK has strongly rejected the accusations, describing them as an attempt by the TVK government to shape public opinion without producing concrete evidence. Party spokesperson A. Saravanan accused the ruling party of selectively leaking details from an ongoing investigation and challenged it to arrest Senthil Balaji if sufficient proof exists.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of a long-running political rivalry between Vijay and Senthil Balaji. The two leaders have previously clashed over a stampede at a Vijay election rally in Karur, with Vijay alleging that Balaji orchestrated the incident to tarnish his image—an allegation the former minister has consistently denied.

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