The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has accused the Tamil Vanniyam Katchi (TVK) of horse-trading following the defection of three legislators.

This political shift threatens the stability of party alignments in Tamil Nadu and raises questions about the integrity of legislative mandates in the region.

According to reports, three legislators, Maragatham Kumaravel, P Sathyabama, and S Jayakumar, resigned from the AIADMK and joined the TVK [1]. The AIADMK said these resignations were the result of poaching and illegal inducements designed to weaken the party's standing.

In response to the departures, the AIADMK has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to examine the circumstances surrounding the defections [2]. The party said the move constitutes a breach of democratic norms and an attempt to manipulate the legislative process through horse-trading [3].

Horse-trading, the practice of bribing or inducing legislators to switch party allegiance, is a recurring point of contention in Indian state politics. The AIADMK said the sudden exit of three members [1] indicates a coordinated effort by the TVK to gain influence through non-electoral means.

The TVK has not yet provided a formal public response to the specific allegations of bribery or the demand for a federal investigation. The AIADMK continues to call for transparency regarding the motivations behind the resignations of Kumaravel, Sathyabama, and Jayakumar [1].

“AIADMK has accused the Tamil Vanniyam Katchi (TVK) of horse-trading”

The demand for a CBI probe signifies an escalation in the rivalry between the AIADMK and the emerging TVK. By framing the defections as criminal horse-trading rather than simple political realignment, the AIADMK seeks to delegitimize the TVK's growth and pressure federal authorities to intervene in state-level political maneuvers.