T.N. Minister Nirmalkumar accuses Stalin, Udhayanidhi of tasking Senthilbalaji to lure TVK MLAs to topple govt.

Tamil Nadu Energy Resources and Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, accused DMK president and former Chief Minister MK Stalin and Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin of allegedly entrusting former Minister and incumbent Coimbatore South DMK MLA V. Senthilbalaji with the task of “lure” TVK MLAs by offering them up to ₹50 crore. overthrow the government.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat in Chennai, Mr. Nirmalkumar alleged that 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 that DMK was planning to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker in the next Assembly session and asked them to vote in support of it.

Three people were arrested

He said that one of the TVK MPs who received such an offer filed a complaint, and three people were arrested thereupon. He said that a detailed investigation into the incident is continuing. “Therefore, Mr. Stalin keeps saying over and over again that the government will not last long and elections will come soon. The people of Tamil Nadu should keep a close eye on what they are doing. After looting thousands of crores (rupees) in the last five years, they cannot remain idle anymore and are trying to buy MLAs through the back door,” Mr. Nirmalkumar alleged.

“Isn’t Mr. Stalin ashamed of trying to buy off MLAs? The people have already rejected him. Even his alliance partners left after seeing the kinds of policies the DMK tolerates, like the attempt to make Edappadi K. Palaniswami the Chief Minister,” he said.

According to him, TVK MLAs did not spend ₹500 crore or ₹1,000 crore “like DMK MLAs” and instead became legislators by spending only ₹3 lakh or ₹4 lakh. “We will enter the next election the same way. The people voted for us because they trusted us. Unlike you. [the DMK]“We did not distribute ₹2,000 per vote or spend ₹70 crore in each constituency,” he said.

He claimed that those who did not see political future in DMK and AIADMK left these parties. Replying to a question on the continuation of corruption cases against former AIADMK Ministers C. Vijayabaskar and MR Vijayabhaskar, who are set to join the TVK, Mr. Nirmalkumar said the law will take its own course.