A fresh controversy has erupted within TVK after a video of its defeated Omalur candidate, Adhiyaman, began circulating on social media. In the clip, he alleges that the party’s Salem West MLA paid Rs 2,000 per vote across the constituency, impacting his own campaign in the final days.
Adhiyaman contested from Omalur in Salem district and secured 97,707 votes, but lost to AIADMK candidate Mani by a margin of 14,539 votes. The remarks were reportedly made during a TVK internal consultation meeting held in Omalur to review the reasons for the defeat.
In the video, Adhiyaman says the alleged cash distribution in the neighbouring Salem West seat created a backlash that affected Omalur during the last two days of campaigning. He claims this may have cost him around 5,000 to 6,000 votes despite his outreach and campaign messaging.
The allegation has caused unease among party members, coming soon after TVK leader Vijay’s speech in Tiruchirappalli in which he said the culture of paying money for votes had been broken. The report also notes that an audio clip allegedly involving threats using the name of Transport Minister Vijay Tamilan Parthiban had recently been circulated, said to have been released by party members themselves.
With both the video and audio being widely shared, the episode has highlighted internal tensions within the party, as such content continues to spread rapidly on social platforms.
