The Tamil Nadu Police have arrested three persons in connection with an alleged conspiracy to topple the TVK-led government by offering a ruling party MLA ₹35 crore to vote against the government during a proposed Assembly resolution concerning the Speaker. The investigation has also named former DMK Minister and Coimbatore South MLA V. Senthil Balaji and his brother V. Ashok Kumar as alleged conspirators behind the plot, with police claiming the accused acted at their behest.
According to a police press release dated 1 July 2026, the action was initiated based on a complaint filed by TVK MLA Dr. N. Ilaiyaraja with the Chennai Police Commissioner on 29 June 2026.
Former minister Senthil Balaji faces serious allegations pic.twitter.com/IbGDPQyuFJ
— Stalin SP (@Stalin__SP) July 1, 2026
In his complaint, Ilaiyaraja alleged that he was contacted over the phone by a man identified as Thirunavukkarasu, who claimed to be the head of an opinion polling organisation called Indian Political Democratic Strategies (IPDS). Thirunavukkarasu allegedly told the legislator that he was speaking on behalf of members of a major political party, as reported in Times of India.
According to the complaint, Thirunavukkarasu allegedly informed Ilaiyaraja that a resolution would soon be brought against the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and urged him to vote in a particular manner despite being a member of the ruling party. In return, he allegedly offered the MLA ₹35 crore.
Ilaiyaraja stated that he rejected the offer outright and instructed the caller not to contact him again. However, the caller allegedly threatened him, warning that both he and his family would face serious consequences if he disclosed the conversation to anyone.
Based on the complaint, the Chennai Police registered a case and launched an investigation.
According to the police, the investigation revealed that V. Ashok Kumar, brother of former DMK Minister and Coimbatore South MLA V. Senthil Balaji, had met an individual identified as Naresh in Chennai on 29 June 2026. Investigators further alleged that Thirunavukkarasu contacted Ilaiyaraja at the behest of Senthil Balaji and Ashok Kumar.
The police stated that the conspiracy involved inducing the MLA with money to act against the interests of the ruling government and threatening him after he refused the alleged offer.
During the course of the investigation, police arrested three accused, including Thirunavukkarasu. They have been booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, bribery, criminal intimidation and other relevant offences.
Meanwhile, TVK Minister P. Nirmal Kumar alleged that the DMK had been attempting to poach MLAs from the ruling party for over a month.
He claimed that the government had repeatedly warned over the past 40 days that the DMK, under the leadership of M.K. Stalin, had been trying to lure TVK legislators. He further alleged that one of the party’s MLAs had recently been threatened by individuals linked to the DMK.
According to the minister, Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok Kumar were behind the alleged operation and had offered approximately ₹35 crore to a TVK MLA to vote against the government if a no-confidence motion against the Speaker was brought before the Assembly. He alleged that after the MLA refused, he was threatened, following which a police complaint was filed along with supporting evidence.
The minister further claimed that the three persons arrested by the police were close associates of Senthil Balaji.
The case comes just months after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, in which TVK secured 108 seats in its electoral debut, ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK-led alliances in the State.
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