Chennai, May 28: Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna on Thursday claimed that a “political conspiracy” between the two Dravidian parties led to several AIADMK leaders and cadres joining the TVK.
Addressing a party meeting here, Arjuna claimed that nearly 90 per cent of the AIADMK cadre is now looking to join the TVK, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, to rescue Tamil Nadu from “monarchical and corrupt politics.”
Welcoming former AIADMK MLAs, district secretaries, and trade union leaders — including veteran leader Vellamandi N Natarajann — into the TVK fold, Arjuna clarified that no monetary inducements or posts were offered to anyone.
“After the demise of ‘Puratchi Thalaivi Amma’ (former CM J Jayalalithaa), the decisions taken by the AIADMK leadership went completely against the welfare of its cadres, leading to 14 consecutive electoral defeats. The workers were heartbroken to see former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam reduced to an ordinary DMK MLA — the very party Jayalalithaa fiercely fought against,” he said.
“They (DMK and AIADMK) created a massive conspiracy. That is what made the political lives of the AIADMK cadres a question mark, and with Jayalalithaa is no longer there, they have come to the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) today,” the TVK leader said.
Arjuna claimed that following recent Assembly election results, secret negotiations took place between DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to forge an administrative understanding aimed at sharing power and corruption revenues.
“During a recent AIADMK MLAs’ meeting in Puducherry, signatures were collected from 47 MLAs on the pretext of making Palaniswami as the chief minister. Senior leaders like CVe Shanmugam and C Vijayabaskar questioned how someone with just 47 MLAs could dream of becoming the CM, when the public had pushed the party to the third position,” Arjuna said.
He further alleged that the “actual blueprint” was to make DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin as the chief minister and Palaniswami as deputy CM, “ensuring a monthly fund collection and distribution system between the two families”.
According to the TVK minister, this “betrayal” of the public mandate by the AIADMK leadership forced key secular allies — the Congress, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML– to shift their allegiance and form an alliance under TVK chief Vijay.
“Leaders of these alliance parties do not run after money or power. They stand where honesty and public support reside. The CPI(M) explicitly stated that if they did not support the TVK, the DMK, AIADMK, and BJP would combine to install an anti-people government in Tamil Nadu,” Arjuna claimed.
The TVK is the true successor to the pro-people welfare legacy of political stalwarts like E V Ramasamy ‘Periyar’, Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, he added.
Highlighting the achievements of the TVK-led government over the past 15–20 days, Arjuna claimed that the chief minister has completely eradicated institutionalised corruption.
“During the DMK regime, there was a CM family fund, a ministers’ fund, and an officials’ fund. Today, there is absolute transparency. Whether it is CMDA approvals, DTCP land registrations, or the Public Works Department (PWD) and Highways, the system of collecting Rs 40 per square foot has been dismantled. Honest IAS officers are now driving the administration,” Arjuna claimed.
He announced that moving forward, TVK general secretary and minister N Anand and party leadership will hold special induction meets every Saturday and Sunday to formally welcome cadres migrating from other political parties into the TVK family.
