TN Minister rejects AIADMK’s charge of horse-trading, says his comments misconstrued
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister Sengottaiyan has rejected the AIADMK’s allegation that he was encouraging horse-trading, saying his remark that 15 more people were preparing to join Chief Minister Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) did not specifically refer to opposition legislators.
Responding to questions from reporters about the AIADMK’s complaint to Governor Arlekar, Sengottaiyan said the party had misconstrued his comments and should have understood their meaning before approaching the Governor.
“I never made a statement that MLAs from the AIADMK would join the TVK. I said 15 people would come, but I did not identify anyone specifically. A complaint should be submitted only after clearly understanding what was said,” he maintained.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of defections from the AIADMK following the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. Six legislators, including former ministers, resigned from the party and joined the ruling TVK. Among those who switched allegiance were Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama, who subsequently contested the recent by-elections as TVK candidates and won.
Sengottaiyan’s subsequent assertion that another 15 people were ready to join triggered strong objections from the AIADMK.
The opposition party accused him of promoting horse-trading and sought the Governor’s intervention through a formal complaint.
Dismissing the allegation, the minister argued that political leaders moving between parties was an established practice and could not automatically be described as horse-trading.
Referring to two people from the MDMK joining the DMK, he asked why that development should be viewed differently. “Two people from the MDMK joined the DMK today. What would you call that?” he asked, challenging the basis of the AIADMK’s accusation.
He said such political shifts had occurred both during former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s tenure and when Edappadi K. Palaniswami was serving as AIADMK general secretary. People from other political organisations had joined the AIADMK, while others had left it for different parties and subsequently contested elections together, he said.
According to Sengottaiyan, these movements reflected a recurring feature of political life, and there was no basis for attaching the label of horse-trading to every change in party affiliation.
Concluding his response with a philosophical observation, the minister said people might aspire to conquer the world, but nobody could conquer time. “No one can overcome time or work magic against it,” he said, reiterating his rejection of the complaint.