It may be smiles all around for Team O Panneerselvam after a sting operation by Times Now and Moon TV revealed that Sasikala’s camp offered money and gold to MLAs before the trust vote in February.
But it was not to be so as the latter part of the expose by the two channels has also indicted the rebel AIADMK faction. In the sting operation carried out by Moon TV’s Shanawaz, the reporter poses as a middleman between the OPS camp and MLAs, who are in the ruling faction.
Madurai South MLA SS Saravanan, who had defected to the rebel faction, admits on spy camera that Sasikala camp talked about giving MLAs anything between Rs 2 crores to 6 crores. But, he also made a revelation that not just Sasikala, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s team was also willing to pay money for MLAs to switch sides.
In the tape, Saravana can be heard saying that a few MLAs had received Rs 1 crore from OPS faction.
If these revelations are true, then it creates a serious dent to OPS’s image. The man who rebelled against VK Sasikala had been hailed a righteous hero standing up to corruption.
#MLAsForSale sting tape 3: Saravanan, AIADMK MLA, says as he has not taken Rs 2 cr, he has his own identity in OPS camp pic.twitter.com/8Bz68uOHzd
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 12, 2017
Saravanan asks, “Sir you mentioned that 2 MLA’s are ready? are they willing to switch sides? are they ready? did you check with them?”
Shanawaz, however, replies that the MLAs are hesitant to defect to the OPS camp, noting “The issue is that they (OPS) had committed some amount and it was not fulfilled and you are reconsidering your decision. At that time, we had a discussion with Hari (broker) and he promised that he will get the amount.”
When asked about whether a deal could be fixed, Saravanan replies, “You told me Rs 2 crores right. I have informed them (OPS camp?). They told me that all others have received 1 crore. I told them that they (MLA’s) are expecting 2 crores and once you give it to them they will switch to our camp. They asked me who is the MLA? I told them I don’t know yet. You tell me from which place he belongs to I will inform them. I have just informed them that they MLAs belong to SC/ST community. After this in our team they are planning to speak to other MLAs Madurai, Namakkal if they all come then the number will be 5.”
Saravanan goes on to make more promises to the Moon TV reporter, stating, “You confirm and let me know. I will bring the money here. I will tell you one more thing. We will give them Minister post. You ask them to join us. If OPS anna becomes CM the 11 MLA’s who are supporting him will all become Ministers and if these two MLA’s are willing to join us we will make them ministers. There will be no change.”
Denying the allegations, Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan said, “Many MLAs came to the OPS camp in the beginning. after 11th or 12thFebruary, MLAs stopped coming because the other side, Sasikala was sitting in Koovathur for three nights and she was offering money. If OPS was offering money, he would have been the CM today.”