It was an open secret, but for the first time ever, in a sting operation done by Chennai-based TV channel Moon TV and Times Now, an MLA was caught on camera stating the political corruption ahead of the 19 February trust vote in the Tamil Nadu assembly.
Following split in the AIADMK after O Panneerselvam’s rebellion, a trust vote was held in the assembly on 18 February to test the support for Edappadi Palaniswami backed by Sasikala.
The sting tapes released by Times Now and Moon TV have so far backed the allegations that both the OPS and EPS camp offered money to the MLAs to vote in the favour.
Also Read: All in the AIADMK? OPS & Sasikala Faction MLAs Admit Being Bribed
However, yet another shocker from the tapes, a copy of which The News Minute acquired from Moon TV, is of Saravanan saying that it is only because of the BJP that OPS camp is surviving.
The MLA says that OPS camp knew well in advance from their sources in Delhi that the RK Nagar polls will be cancelled.
The EC officially cancelled the elections on 10 April, but this is the conversation Moon TV had with MLA Saravanan on 6 April.
Moon TV: Do you have BJP support?
MLA Saravanan: Yes of course, we have BJP support. That is why we are surviving now.
Moon TV: But BJP can help OPS with the elections no?
MLA Saravanan: They will stop the elections. For sure they will stop it. They told us from Delhi 10-15 days ago that the elections will stop mostly.
Moon TV: Last minute they will stop it?
MLA Saravanan: Yes, that is what they will do.
Watch the video here:
This is not all, MLA Saravanan also claims that while Sasikala’s camp distributed money between Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 for the polls, OPS camp did not do it because they did not have the manpower. He also says that as far as he knew, DMK also did not distribute money.
MLA Saravanan: That Amma (Sasikala) has been giving money well, between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000. Our men only did it, party men from Madurai, they are in Poes (Garden). With the support of the police, in the morning and the night. People are taking and happy, but they won’t vote for them.
MLA Saravanan: Even OPS is saying that we will not give. Stalin also will not give money, they might have given to a few people, but not really. It does not look like they have given.
OPS will not give, because he does not have the people. He had ground level cadres, but you need people who are managers, who get work done.
(This article was first published in The News Minute.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)