The opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday filed a supplementary complaint with Governor Rajendra Arlikar and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), alleging “horse trading” by the ruling Tamil Vitri Kazhagam (TVK) party following the Assembly election results announced in May.
The supplementary complaint follows an earlier report filed on July 4 by DMK organization secretary RS Bharathi, Rajya Sabha MP PP Wilson, MLA S Austin and others on the same issue.
In the new complaint, Bharati urged the Governor and the Domestic Violence Commission to conduct “an impartial and thorough investigation in accordance with the law to ascertain the truth and bring to justice all persons found responsible.”
According to a copy of the complaint seen by HT, Bharati cited statements made by former AIADMK minister Mr Vijayabaskar during a press interaction after joining TVK on July 2.
Bharati said Vijayabaskar stated that he was approached by the ruling party to join it after his resignation from the post of Karur MLA.
“The said admission, made by the same legislator whose resignation forms part of the pattern laid out in the aforesaid complaint, constitutes direct and direct evidence of the agitation practiced by the ruling party,” Bharati said in the complaint.
He also attached a link to the video interview given by Vijayabaskar to the media.
But Vijaya Bhaskar rejected the claim, saying that he joined TVK voluntarily.
“I joined of my own free will,” he told reporters.
Responding to the DMK’s claim that he joined after TVK approached him, Vijayabaskar said: “They (DMK) misunderstood it. I gave the TV interview when we joined TVK during a meeting held in Mahabalipuram. No one from TVK invited us to join. I joined of my own volition.”
“Due to dissatisfaction with the AIADMK leadership, many MLAs, former ministers and former MLAs have joined TVK in large groups,” he added.
Vijaya Bhaskar said 11 consultative meetings were held in his constituency before he decided to change parties.
“The majority of them (AIADMK MLAs) agreed that we should join TVK. We did exactly that. That is what we meant when we gave the interview to journalists. That was misunderstood.”
Soon after TVK won the Assembly elections held on April 23, several AIADMK leaders joined the ruling party.
Four AIADMK MLAs — Maragattam Kumaravel (Madurantakam), S Jayakumar (Pirundurai), P Satyabhama (Dharapuram) and Isakhi Subbaiya (Ambasamudram) — resigned from the assembly and joined TVK in May.
Former AIADMK ministers C Vijayabaskar, Viralimalai MLA, and MR Vijayabaskar, former Karur MLA, are among the prominent leaders who recently switched from AIADMK to TVK.
