The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) announced on Friday that all 59 of its party legislators will boycott the Tamil Nadu government’s scheme providing new official cars to MLAs. Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Udhayanidhi Stalin declared the boycott on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He cited the state’s severe financial constraints, and simultaneously challenged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to make public alleged corruption files against the previous administration.
All 59 DMK Legislators Boycott Official Vehicle Scheme
The controversy follows Chief Minister Vijay’s announcement of a welfare and logistics package. Under this package, all 234 MLAs across party lines would receive a government vehicle. Additionally, they would get monthly maintenance and fuel allowances of ₹75,000. The Chief Minister defended the initiative as vital support for grassroots representatives from modest backgrounds. He said it would help them discharge their constituency duties.
However, the DMK rejected the scheme, with Udhayanidhi Stalin asserting that party president M.K. Stalin decided that DMK representatives would not burden the public exchequer with additional vehicle expenditures.
Udhayanidhi Stalin Dares CM to Make Graft Files Public
During the assembly debate, the Leader of the Opposition escalated his political attack against Chief Minister Vijay over recurring allegations of corruption.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s past statements claiming he holds evidence of graft from the earlier DMK regime to be unveiled at an appropriate time, Udhayanidhi urged him to cease delivering cinematic dialogues in the House.
He challenged the government to table the documents immediately. He questioningly asked if the Chief Minister was waiting for an astrologer to pick an auspicious date to take legal action.
Sharp Verbal Sparring Sparks Assembly Uproar
The exchange triggered loud protests and sloganeering between DMK and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLAs. As a result, there was a brief disruption in legislative proceedings.
The state School Education Minister intervened on behalf of the treasury benches. He clarified that the government will release the corruption files at a strategically appropriate time.
Order was restored after Speaker interventions, with the opposition demanding transparent audits of state finances instead of political threats.
Curated news reports, in-depth analysis, and special features by India’s Opinion editorial team.
