Reality check for TVK’s clean politics pitch as ED targets another DMK leader

Just 10 days after assuming power, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government is facing its first major political test.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified pressure on the new regime, seeking sanction to prosecute yet another senior DMK leader and former minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan in a money-laundering case, five days after targeting former minister Senthil Balaji.

These successive moves have thrust Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s fledgling government into a delicate political tightrope, forcing it to decide whether it will walk the talk on its fierce election campaign promise of cleansing Tamil Nadu politics of “theeya sakthi” (evil force) and deep-rooted corruption.

Poll promise

During the 2026 Assembly election campaign, Vijay had positioned TVK as a “pure force” and a decisive alternative to the corrupt Dravidian model, repeatedly accusing the DMK of protecting its leaders from central agency probes.

Also read: Vijay attacks DMK as 'evil force' in fiery TVK rally in Erode

Now, with power in hand, the new government must demonstrate its commitment by acting against the very same leaders it criticised. Granting sanction to prosecute former DMK ministers could help TVK consolidate its image as an anti-corruption force among voters who backed its promise of clean governance.

However, any perceived delay or hesitation may invite accusations of protecting the old ecosystem or succumbing to political pressures, especially given the complex dynamics of Tamil Nadu politics.

PMLA case

Sources confirmed that the ED wrote to the Tamil Nadu government on May 20, requesting approval to prosecute former fisheries minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Radhakrishnan, MLA from Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district, is among the few senior DMK faces who retained some relevance after the party’s massive defeat in the 2026 polls.

The case originates from a 2006 disproportionate assets probe by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), which flagged assets worth over Rs 2.07 crore disproportionate to his known income.

Big move by ED

ED filed a prosecution complaint in a PMLA court in March 2025. Properties worth Rs 1.26 crore across Thoothukudi, Madurai, and Chennai were attached. In 2022, the agency attached 18 properties worth nearly Rs 1 crore.

Also read: Madras HC’s I-T penalty ruling raises questions over Vijay’s ‘clean politics’ pitch

The May 20 letter serves as a strong follow-up to an earlier communication sent on March 24. The agency has invoked Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), warning that failure to grant sanction within 120 days would result in “deemed approval.”

This marks a sharp departure from the previous DMK regime, during which the Governor and the state government did not act on multiple sanction requests. The change in government has clearly given fresh momentum to the ED’s long-pending cases against DMK heavyweights.

Pressure on TVK

Jayaram Venkatesan of the Arappor Iyakkam has urged the newly formed TVK government to swiftly expedite all actions against former ministers and officials facing serious corruption charges. “Only if the new government demonstrates speed and seriousness in pursuing these cases will the people truly develop confidence in it,” he said.

He warned that any delay in accelerating the investigations could lead the public to view this government as just another routine administration that fails to deliver on its promises. Venkatesan emphasised that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who had strongly projected TVK as a “pure force” (thooya sakthi) during the election campaign, must now walk the talk by taking decisive action against corruption.

Reality check

For the TVK government, which assumed office on May 10 after ending DMK’s long dominance, these developments come as an early reality check. How it handles these sensitive requests will likely define the public perception of its first term whether it truly represents a break from the past or falls into familiar political patterns.

Also read: Early test for CM Vijay as ED seeks sanction from TN govt to prosecute Senthil Balaji

Political observers are watching closely. Granting sanction could strengthen TVK’s narrative of accountability and fulfil its core poll promise. Any hesitation, on the other hand, risks eroding the very anti-corruption mandate that brought Vijay to power.

‘Politically motivated’

The DMK has dismissed the cases as politically motivated.

DMK Organising Secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP RS Bharathi has strongly denied the corruption allegations levelled against the party’s senior leaders, stating that “false cases” have been foisted on them.

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Speaking to The Federal, Bharathi said the party would prove its innocence in court and emerge victorious. He criticised the ED’s actions, describing them as “high-handed” and claimed that every money-laundering case pursued by the agency was being repeatedly humiliated and exposed in the courts. “We are fully prepared to face this matter legally,” he asserted.

As the new government weighs its response, the coming days could prove decisive in determining if TVK can translate its fiery campaign rhetoric into concrete action against alleged corruption in Tamil Nadu politics.