Five More Held in Alleged Attempt to Bribe TVK MLA Over No-Confidence Motion Vote

Five more persons have been arrested in connection with an alleged attempt to bribe a TVK MLA , taking the total number of arrests in the case to eight , police said on Friday. The probe is being carried out by the Triplicane police.

The case originated from a complaint by MLA N. Elaiyaraja , representing the Uthangarai Assembly constituency in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu. He alleged that he received a phone call from a pollster linked to Indian Political Democratic Strategies (IPDS) , who claimed that representatives of a major political party had offered him ₹35 crore to vote in favour of a proposed no-confidence motion against the Assembly Speaker .

Elaiyaraja further alleged that after he refused the offer, he was pressured and threatened , with reports of intimidation extending to his family as well, prompting him to approach the police on June 29.

According to police, earlier arrests included Thirunavukkarasu of Arumbakkam, Naresh of Tiruchirappalli, and Thiyagarajan of Medavakkam , who were taken into custody and remanded to judicial custody on July 1.

In the latest action, police arrested Selvan (Pallikaranai), E.M. Srinivasan (Madambakkam), Rajesh (Chromepet), Karthik, and Ramesh (Karur district) . All five were produced before a city court and sent to judicial custody.

Investigators said the accused allegedly coordinated meetings at hotels in Guindy and along the East Coast Road (ECR) in Chennai. During these meetings, discussions were reportedly held to secure the MLA’s support for the proposed motion against the Speaker.

Police added that the accused allegedly acted in coordination to lure and influence the legislator , and further investigation is underway to trace the broader network and political linkages behind the alleged conspiracy.

The case has drawn attention due to its political sensitivity , involving allegations of large-scale inducement attempts targeting a sitting legislator during a crucial legislative development.