A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of bribery and corruption during the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly trust vote. The plea, filed on Wednesday, also demands the immediate dissolution of the state Assembly and the imposition of President’s Rule in Tamil Nadu until the investigation is concluded.
The legal challenge targets the floor test won by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on May 13, which solidified his administration’s position in the state legislature.
Allegations of Overnight “Horse-Trading” and Bribery
The petition, moved by K K Ramesh, a resident of Madurai, alleges that the floor test was not conducted in accordance with democratic principles. While Chief Minister Vijay won the trust vote by a margin of 144 votes in favor to 22 against, the plea raises serious questions about how those numbers were achieved.
According to the petitioner, the TVK had won 108 seats in the elections but managed to secure the critical signatures of 12 MLAs from other political parties overnight. The plea alleges that this sudden shift in support was the result of illicit political maneuvering.
“In the Tamil Nadu Assembly, some MLAs from other parties were allegedly involved in horse-trading, and huge amounts of money were handed over to certain MLAs by TVK,” the petition states. It further alleges that political compromises were made and large sums of money were systematically distributed to secure the necessary votes.
Demands for Assembly Dissolution and President’s Rule
Given the gravity of the corruption allegations, the petitioner argues that the current state government’s mandate is compromised. The plea urges the Supreme Court to intervene by dissolving the Tamil Nadu Assembly and directing the CBI to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the alleged transactions.
To prevent any administrative interference during the proposed inquiry, the petition has additionally sought a direction to place the governance of Tamil Nadu under President’s Rule until the CBI completes its probe.
The Supreme Court is expected to consider the admissibility of the plea in the coming days.
