Tamil Nadu politics has turned volatile after intelligence and police sources uncovered a Rs 180-crore conspiracy allegedly aimed at toppling the TVK government led by Chief Minister Vijay. Investigators say rivals had drawn up a calculated plan to destabilise the democratically elected administration, with a prominent corporate entity allegedly acting as strategist. A luxury hotel in Chennai’s Guindy area served as the operation’s base, where accused persons reportedly stayed for a week working out ways to lure sitting MLAs.
The plot came to light after TVK MLA Ilayaraja filed a written complaint stating that a YouTuber had offered him Rs 35 crore to defect and help bring down the government. Chennai police launched a probe and found that around 15 TVK MLAs had been targeted in an attempt to push the Vijay government into a minority. Nine people have been taken into custody so far. Police have named YouTuber Thirunavukkarasu, former DMK minister Senthil Balaji, and his brother Ashok Kumar as key figures who allegedly directed the negotiations with MLAs, and are now searching for the two absconding accused.
Amid the unfolding case, former Chief Minister Stalin’s repeated public claims that the Vijay government could collapse at any time have added to the political tension. Stalin has maintained that the government survives only on the strength of former DMK allies. In response, CM Vijay has stepped up efforts to counter both the DMK and AIADMK, working simultaneously to protect his administration and blunt the opposition’s strategy.
Leaders of parties allied with TVK recently appeared together on a common platform to project unity, asserting that the government would complete its full five-year term regardless of opposition manoeuvres. They said all MLAs remained firmly behind CM Vijay and ruled out any possibility of defections. CM Vijay himself dismissed the “collapse” narrative as disinformation, expressing confidence that his government would serve its full term while respecting the people’s mandate, and declared that corruption-free, secular governance remained non-negotiable for his administration.
Tamil Nadu’s Intelligence and Crime Branch have intensified their investigation into the Rs 180-crore case, collecting bank transaction records and digital evidence to trace the funding and identify the corporate entity allegedly involved. With coalition partners rallying behind CM Vijay, the immediate threat to the government appears to have been contained, though political observers are closely watching for further developments in the coming days.