Tamil Nadu Minister Sengottaiyan on 18 October 2026 firmly rejected the AIADMK's allegation that he was encouraging horse-trading, clarifying that his remark about 15 more people preparing to join Chief Minister Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) did not specifically refer to opposition legislators. The controversy has intensified a simmering political standoff between the ruling TVK and the principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu.

What the Minister Said

Responding to reporters' questions about the AIADMK's formal complaint to Governor Arlekar, Sengottaiyan maintained that the party had fundamentally misread his remarks. 'I never made a statement that MLAs from the AIADMK would join the TVK. I said 15 people would come, but I did not identify anyone specifically. A complaint should be submitted only after clearly understanding what was said,' he stated.

The minister argued that his words had been taken out of context and that the AIADMK should have sought clarification before escalating the matter to the Raj Bhavan.

Background: A String of Defections

The dispute is rooted in a broader pattern of political realignments that followed the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. At least six legislators — including former ministers — resigned from the AIADMK and joined the ruling TVK. Among those who switched allegiance were Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama, both of whom subsequently contested recent by-elections as TVK candidates and won.

Sengottaiyan's assertion that another 15 people were ready to follow suit drew sharp condemnation from the AIADMK, which accused him of openly promoting horse-trading and sought the Governor's intervention through a formal complaint.

Minister's Defence: Party Switches Are 'Established Practice'

Dismissing the allegation, Sengottaiyan argued that politicians moving between parties was an established feature of Indian political life and could not automatically be branded as horse-trading. He drew a pointed parallel: 'Two people from the MDMK joined the DMK today. What would you call that?' he asked, challenging the consistency of the AIADMK's position.

He further noted that similar political movements had occurred under the watch of both the late former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and incumbent AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami — with people joining the AIADMK from other parties and departing from it as well. According to Sengottaiyan, these patterns reflected the normal ebb and flow of Tamil Nadu politics rather than any orchestrated inducement.

AIADMK's Stand and the Governor's Complaint

The AIADMK has maintained that Sengottaiyan's public declaration about imminent defections constitutes an open solicitation of sitting legislators, which it considers a violation of anti-defection norms. The party's formal complaint to Governor R.N. Arlekar marks an escalation, bringing the constitutional authority into a dispute that until now had played out in press briefings and social media.

Notably, this is not the first time the AIADMK has approached the Governor over what it describes as anti-democratic conduct by the ruling dispensation — a pattern that signals the party's intent to use Raj Bhavan as a forum for political grievances in the absence of a strong legislative majority.

What Comes Next

Whether the Governor takes cognisance of the complaint or refers it to the appropriate legal authority remains to be seen. Sengottaiyan closed his remarks with a philosophical note: 'No one can overcome time or work magic against it,' reiterating his dismissal of the allegation. Political analysts expect the TVK to continue its consolidation drive ahead of the next electoral cycle, keeping the defection debate at the centre of Tamil Nadu politics in the weeks ahead.