Tamil Nadu's main opposition DMK on Wednesday alleged that MDMK chief Vaiko has made a public admission that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay attempted "horse trading" of its two MLAs and urged Governor R V Arlekar to take action and render justice.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption must be directed to register FIR, conduct an impartial probe, and ensure justice, DMK Organising Secretary R S Bharathi said in his petition addressed to Arlekar that came days after MDMK walked out of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) and decided to back the ruling TVK.
Bharathi urged the governor to direct the DVAC to conduct a full-scale investigation into a "criminal conspiracy entered into by chief minister Joseph Vijay, with Vaiko."
It was to entice and induce two sitting MLAs --TM Rajendran of Kadayanallur constituency and S Senthil Selvan of Sirkazhi segment-- both belonging to the DMK, to resign from their elected office by adopting corrupt and illegal practices, the DMK leader alleged.
These two MLAs have been elected on the DMK's rising sun symbol to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
"Even though these two candidates were formerly members of the MDMK and were recommended by the MDMK as part of the alliance discussions (for the April 23 polls), they resigned from the MDMK, joined the DMK, and contested elections as DMK candidates."
"The Returning Officer, on their application, allotted the DMK's rising sun symbol under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, and the people of Kadayanallur and Sirkazhi constituencies have voted for these MLAs on the rising sun symbol. Therefore, under the law, these two MLAs are DMK MLAs, under the whip and leadership of the DMK," Bharathi asserted.
The DMK leader asked Arlekar to "not turn a blind eye and allow blatant horse trading and corrupt practices by the ruling party and the chief minister Joseph Vijay, thus undermining constitutional morality and ethos."
Bharathi, attaching a pen drive of Vaiko's speech in connection with the allegation, said the complaint is made pursuant to the public statements made by Vaiko, General Secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), in the General Body meeting organised by his party in Chennai on June 27.
The DMK leader alleged that in his statement, Vaiko expressly admitted that Vijay, at his residence in Pattinapakkam,here, requested him to engage in "horse trading."
"The speech of Vaiko discloses that when he met CM Vijay few days before the General Body meeting, the CM discussed with him for more than one hour and suggested that the two MLAs, T M Rajendran and S Senthil Selvan be induced to resign from their MLA posts, and that he would canvass for them if they contest again in elections," the DMK leader alleged.
This statement and assurance of CM Vijay to Vaiko amounts to inducement to commit horse trading of two DMK MLAs.
It is also an interference with the constitutional mandate of elected representatives, warranting immediate registration of a complaint of horse trading and impartial investigation.
Vaiko has called the two MLAs before attending the MDMK high level committee meeting one day earlier and conveyed the suggestion of CM Vijay and asked them to resign. However, both of them have refused to do so, he stated. Statements of Vaiko directly implicates Vijay and reveals his direct involvement as a co-conspirator in the inducement of the sitting legislators to resign.
They intend that, by inducing two MLAs to resign, the DMK's strength and the Assembly's overall strength will be reduced, thereby favouring the ruling party in maintaining its majority.
Vijay, by "abusing" his official position as chief minister, has assured Vaiko that if these two MLAs resign, they will be elected in subsequent bye-elections, and that the government may provide monetary assistance, Bharathi added.
These assurances are like quid pro quo and establish a clear attempt at horse trading. The public admission by one of the co-conspirators clearly exposes the criminal intention, and this warrants the registration of a police complaint and a full-fledged investigation.
Video recording of Vaiko's speech has been widely disseminated through various online platforms, social media and news media portals, he said.
The "confession" of Vaiko prima facie reveals an attempt by the CM to "induce" elected MLAs to resign from their constitutional office in exchange for political and electoral benefits, constituting an act of "horse-trading," corruption and other offences that strike at the very foundation of democracy, the integrity of the electoral process and the constitutional scheme, he said.
It was pertinent to note that the anti-defection laws, such as the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, were enacted to preserve the sanctity and purity of the electoral mandate and to prevent such unethical political practices.
If resignations of sitting legislators are procured through assurances of money, power, future electoral support, political advantage or any other consideration, such conduct would, if established by evidence, strike at the heart of democracy and the constitutional scheme governing legislative tenure, he added.
AIADMK MLAs MR Vijayabhaskar (Karur), C Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai, former Health Minister) Maragatham Kumaravel (Maduranthakam), S Jayakumar (Perundurai), P Sathyabama (Dharapuram) and Esakki Subaya (Ambasamudram) – were "induced" and they resigned from their Assembly memberships, the DMK alleged.
All such factors warrant an inquiry to ascertain if there has been any systematic effort by the TVK party to alter the composition of the Assembly through negotiated resignations of the six MLAs to secure a majority in the Assembly.
Hence, Arlekar should direct the DVAC to file an FIR and legally proceed to "bring to book the persons who indulge in corrupt practice of horse trading," Bharathi said.
Meanwhile, in an editorial, DMK mouthpiece Murasoli on Wednesday said that the country has not forgotten that former PM Narasimha Rao and his Cabinet colleague Buta Singh were sentenced to three years imprisonment by a court in connection with alleged horse trading in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case.
