AIADMK: Will demand CBI probe if TVK continues 'horse-trading'

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Friday (May 29) said that the party will not hesitate to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe if the alleged poaching of its lawmakers by the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu, through "multi-crore cash transfers", continues.

The remarks come after the defections of four AIADMK legislators K Maragatham Kumaravel (Maduranthakam Assembly constituency), S Jayakumar (Perundurai), P Sathyabama (Dharapuram) and Esakki Subaya (Ambasamudram), who resigned as MLAs and joined the TVK.

Opposition parties have strongly condemned the manner of these inductions, accusing the ruling party of converting the government Secretariat into a party operational centre to distribute membership cards.

Also read: Fourth AIADMK rebel MLA resigns as EPS faction battles TVK defections

Accusing that TVK had forced four AIADMK MLAs to resign through horse-trading involving "crores of rupees", AIADMK whip Agri SS Krishnamoorthy said in Tiruvannamalai, "If they continue to commit such wrongdoings, I am duty-bound to firmly state at this moment that we will not hesitate to place a demand for a CBI inquiry into this, with the approval of party's general secretary Edapaddi K Palaniswami."

He also targeted TVK leader and Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, Aadhav Arjuna, alleging that he has abandoned public service to focus entirely on destabilising rival political camps.

"Is that a government Secretariat or TVK office? The public and neutral observers are asking this question," Krishnamurthy stated.

He also asserted that Arjuna had previously approached AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) seeking a high-ranking post. "Palaniswami flatly refused to admit him into the AIADMK, citing his track record of being expelled or suspended from previous parties, including the DMK and the VCK, for wrongdoings," he said, adding that Arjuna joined TVK only after being rejected by the AIADMK.

Brushing off defections

The current exodus highlights growing structural cracks within the AIADMK. The state had already witnessed an open rift in the AIADMK during the May 13 legislative floor test, when 25 rebel party legislators defied the official whip to vote in favour of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s government.

While the administration comfortably crossed the line, the latest resignations reduce the AIADMK’s official strength in the assembly down to 44 seats, setting the stage for highly competitive upcoming by-elections.

Despite the visible pressure, the AIADMK leadership has publicly downplayed the institutional impact of the exits. Invoking former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s famous 1996 analogy, Krishnamoorthy dismissed the defectors as "shed hair" that fails to diminish the core integrity of the political machine.

He reiterated that while top-tier leaders can easily be replaced, the party’s true structural power remains securely anchored within its fiercely loyal base of 2.16 crore grassroots workers.

Also read: AIADMK factions patch up; Velumani-led rebels meet Edappadi Palaniswami

Furthermore, Krishnamoorthy dismissed ongoing speculation regarding a covert alliance or understanding with the DMK. Emphasising that the party was founded specifically to stand as an alternative to the DMK, he clarified that the two entities represent oil and water that can never mix.

Law and order situation under fire

Turning the heat back onto the ruling TVK, the AIADMK launched a broader assault on Chief Minister Vijay’s governance record. Pointing to a sharp spike in regional criminal activity, including reports of over 20 recent homicides, sexual assaults, and unchecked narcotics smuggling, the Opposition claimed that the administration's promise of a clean and transparent system has fallen flat, leading to widespread public distress across the state.

Also read: Why TVK cabinet expansion sparked fresh DMK-VCK political clash