CM Vijay Faces Corruption Allegations As TVK Govt In Tamil Nadu Completes 100 Days; What's The Row Over Office Shift?

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor-turned-politician Vijay’s decision to shift his official workplace has sparked a fresh political row in the state. The proposed move of the Chief Minister’s Office from Fort St George to Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai has come under scrutiny, with the BJP and DMK questioning the tender process and alleging irregularities.

The controversy comes just days after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government completed 100 days in office, adding a new political challenge for Vijay’s administration. Vijay reportedly wants to shift the Chief Minister’s Office from Fort St George to Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai in Chennai.

According to reports, construction work at the new office has already begun. The corruption row comes after Recently, the government moved a tender worth Rs 5.5 crore for the shifting and related works. In response, the BJP has now raised the first corruption allegations, claiming that the tender was issued nearly a month after construction work had already started.

What BJP Said

BJP leader CR Kesavan accused the TVK government of failing to deliver on its promise of transparency, alleging multiple irregularities in the Rs 5.5-crore tender for Vijay’s new Chief Minister’s Office.

"In stark contrast to all the tall claims made by the new TVK government about bringing in transparency to the government tender process, a news article by a leading daily today has openly alleged many discrepancies in the tender process in connection with the new chief minister's office for Vijay. The article states that the tender work is worth about Rs 5.5 crores and that there have been multiple irregularities in the tender process. It has been only 100 days since the TVK government came to power, and already the government is under the scanner," said BJP leader CR Kesavan.

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Similarly, DMK MLA EV Velu said that shifting the Chief Minister’s Office was Vijay’s personal decision but questioned alleged irregularities in the tender process. He said the tender was reportedly not published online and was floated only after work had already begun, urging the government to clarify the issue and uphold transparency.

"Shifting his office is his personal choice. We can't interfere in it. Even we are happy in a way with the chief minister shifting his office, as that building was constructed by Kalaignar Karunanidhi. But an Indian newspaper report says there are irregularities in the tender, which was not floated online either. We seek clarification from the government. You speak about purity in tenders. But news reports say the tender has been invited after works began for the office."

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In response, Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna has rejected the allegations, calling the reports false. He said the temporary shift is aimed at providing the Chief Minister and his staff with a more comfortable workspace, as the current office space is less than 100 sq ft.

"Our chief minister is naturally down-to-earth and flexible...During campaigns, he'll even be okay with resting in a simple hotel or a van," he added.

The minister added that former chief ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa had also wanted to establish a new secretariat but could not do so due to political circumstances.