Tamil Nadu MLA alleges Rs 35 crore bribe offer; three arrested, former minister named in probe

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Police have arrested three individuals in connection with an alleged attempt to bribe a legislator of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, according to a police statement issued on Wednesday. The investigation has also named former DMK minister V Senthil Balaji and his brother V Ashok Kumar as being linked to the conspiracy.

TVK MLA N Ilaiyaraja filed a complaint with the Chennai Police Commissioner on June 29, claiming that he was offered Rs 35 crore to influence his vote on a proposed resolution against the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. According to the complaint, a man named Thirunavukkarasu contacted Ilaiyaraja, purportedly representing an opinion polling organisation called Indian Political Democratic Strategies (IPDS). The caller allegedly said he was reaching out on behalf of members of a major political party and asked the MLA to vote in a specific manner on the resolution, even though Ilaiyaraja belongs to the ruling party.

Ilaiyaraja stated that he rejected the offer and told the caller not to contact him again. The caller then allegedly threatened the MLA, warning that he and his family would face consequences if the conversation was disclosed. Police investigations subsequently revealed that V Ashok Kumar had met a man named Naresh in Chennai. Investigators further alleged that Thirunavukkarasu contacted Ilaiyaraja at the behest of Senthil Balaji and Ashok Kumar.

The case comes months after the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, in which TVK won 108 seats in its electoral debut, ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK alliances. The police have not provided further details on the motive behind the alleged bribery attempt, and the investigation is ongoing.