Tamil Nadu Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar. File
| Photo Credit: J. Johan Sathyadas
Tamil Nadu Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar, on Wednesday (July 1, 2026), accused DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin of allegedly entrusting former Minister and incumbent Coimbatore South DMK MLA V. 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 in Chennai, Mr. Nirmalkumar claimed several TVK MLAs were approached by alleged associates of Mr. Senthilbalaji and his brother V. Ashokumar. They allegedly offered TVK MLAs up to ₹50 crore and told them the DMK intended to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker in the next Assembly session and asked them to vote in support of it.
Three arrested
He said one of the TVK MLAs who received such an offer lodged a complaint, based on which three persons were arrested. He said detailed investigations were underway in the case. “That is why Mr. Stalin keeps repeatedly saying the government will not last long and that elections will come soon. The people of Tamil Nadu should closely watch what they are doing. After looting thousands of crores (rupees) in the past five years, they are now unable to remain idle and are trying to purchase MLAs through backdoor means,” Mr. Nirmalkumar alleged.
“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 that the DMK indulged 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 instead 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 those who see no political future in the DMK and the AIADMK are leaving those parties. Replying to a question on pendency of corruption cases against former AIADMK Ministers C. Vijayabaskar and M.R. Vijayabhaskar who are set to join the TVK, Mr. Nirmalkumar said the law will take its own course.
Published – July 01, 2026 05:14 pm IST