Cash for vote: TN Guv asks Speaker, CS to take action

Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Monday forwarded a complaint from the DMK on alleged bribery of MLAs in return of their support to the Edappadi K Palaniswami government to the Assembly Speaker and Chief Secretary for appropriate action.

Last week, a Tamil television channel had telecasted video tapes of a sting operation in which two AIADMK MLAs belonging to rival factions had claimed that money was offered to party MLAs, who were taken to a resort in the wake of the rebellion by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam against party leader Sasikala in February this year. Eventually after Sasikala went to jail, 122 MLAs voted in favour of the Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami on a motion of confidence moved by him.

Based on the tapes, DMK working president M.K. Stalin had led a delegation of DMK, Congress and IUML leaders to meet the Governor on Saturday last and submitted a CD containing the footage of the sting operation and sought action.

Stalin had urged the Governor to intervene and order for a fresh vote of confidence and also to direct an investigation by the CBI into the offices under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He also sought an inquiry by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or the Enforcement Directorate to unearth the alleged money trail.

The DMK leader, who had earlier moved the Madras High Court challenging the Vote of Confidence proceedings, filed another application seeking a probe into the claims of the AIADMK MLAs regarding the alleged ''cash for vote'' scam.

Taking all these into account, the Governor, according to a Raj Bhavan press release, referred the copy of the memorandum submitted by the opposition parties and the CD to the Speaker and Chief Secretary for appropriate action.