COIMBATORE: Health Minister and TVK leader KG Arunraj on Thursday also accused the DMK and AIADMK of working together against the ruling party, spreading rumours that TVK candidate Sathyabama had resigned from the AIADMK after receiving Rs 50 crore.

“The AIADMK leadership is attempting to portray Sathyabama negatively out of fear of defeat. But they shouldn’t underestimate the political understanding of the people,” he said.

He claimed that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami would have lost his deposit in the Edappadi Assembly constituency in the general Assembly election if the TVK candidate hadn't been forced out of the fray by deceit.

Addressing media persons in Tirupur, Arunraj said the TVK candidate in Edappadi was bought for Rs 25 crore, and it is evidence of Palaniswami’s history of betrayal.

Stating that there was no unity within the AIADMK and several leaders continued to be in the party because they had no other option, Arunraj said, “Palaniswami had kept several crores ready to form a government by purchasing TVK MLAs. The DMK and AIADMK were engaged in a secret relationship and had attempted to form a government by luring legislators.”

On secularism, Arunraj said it could be protected only in an alliance that included the Congress. The DMK was unable to safeguard secularism because of confusion over its political position and claimed that its leaders are worried over CBI cases,” he said.