Annamalai Claims TVK Ministers Demanding 2% to 4% Cut in Chennai Address

We The Leaders founder K. Annamalai alleged on Sunday that certain Ministers in the TVK-led government have demanded cuts ranging from 2% to 4%, speaking at a meeting of his supporters in Chennai.

While Mr. Annamalai did not name any specific ministers, he claimed to possess an audio recording to substantiate the corruption allegation. He stated that while Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay remains opposed to corruption, ministers have recently started demanding cuts on the pretext of election expenses.

Mr. Annamalai said he was raising the issue now to bring it to the attention of the Chief Minister rather than escalating it after a year. He urged Mr. Vijay to bridle his Ministers and officials to ensure accountability across departments.

Assessing the performance of the administration, Mr. Annamalai noted that out of the 108 MLAs in the government, 101 are first-time legislators. He advocated giving the new government a one-year window to prove itself, noting that the administration had taken corrective measures when issues, such as Tasmac shops operating near educational institutions and places of worship, were flagged.

Referring to the 2026 Budget's aim to save ₹15,000 crore, Mr. Annamalai urged Mr. Vijay to allocate ₹5,000 crore each toward three specific sectors: protecting waterbodies in rural areas, developing rural infrastructure, and improving government school facilities.

Addressing political speculation regarding his ties with the BJP, Mr. Annamalai clarified that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had previously suggested he move to Delhi for a post, but he declined in order to remain in Tamil Nadu. He added that political decisions concerning the state should be made by leaders present across local villages rather than dictated from centralized seats of power.