OPS faction MLA makes explosive 'revelations' about horse-trading

An AIADMK MLA belonging to the dissident faction led by O Panneerselvam in Tamil Nadu was on Tuesday at the centre of a political storm over his purported claim about alleged horse-trading involving ruling party MLAS ahead of the trust vote in February.

Panneerselvam, the leader of the AIADMK's Puratchi Thalaivi Amma faction, sought an "appropriate explanation" from S S Saravanan in the light of a video footage aired by a TV channel that purportedly showed him making some claims of pay-offs to ruling party MLAs ahead of the February 18 trust vote that was won by incumbent Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

Saravanan, a Madurai (South) MLA, for his part said the voice in the video footage on alleged horse trading involving ruling party MLAs was not his. The purported video footage from a 'sting' operation alleged pay-offs by both the AIADMK factions led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam. "It is me in the video, but the voice is not mine," Saravanan told reporters.

He said the voice was an act of "mimicry, dubbed, fake voice," adding the footage was related to "some old event, which I don't remember."

The MLA said he was consulting legal experts and a criminal case will be filed in this regard.

As the footage raised political temperature in the state, the DMK moved the Madras High Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence(DRI) into the alleged payoffs.

The developments come against the backdrop of the state assembly session commencing tomorrow.

"We have sought an appropriate explanation from SS Saravanan," Panneerselvam, a former chief minister, told reporters without elaborating.

Saravanan had earlier claimed he had 'escaped' from a resort near here where the MLAs were staying during that time, in 'disguise,' before joining the Panneerselvam faction.

Panneerselvam had revolted against AIADMK chief V K Sasikala in February, alleging he was forced to make way for her elevation as chief minister.

In ensuing political developments, the AIADMK suffered a split, with some MLAs joining him.

Palaniswami was elected chief minister after Sasikala was held guilty in a disproportionate assets case, and he won the trust vote on February 18 by a margin of 122-11 amid eviction of main opposition DMK following unruly scenes.