Tales of luring legislators make the state political situation murkier. The latest of these was revealed by VC Arukutty, MLA.

“Though I was lured with offerings of ministerial berth, the post of district secretary and a whopping sum of money by the V.K.Sasikala camp, which is indulging in `business deals’ with ruling party MLAs, I refused to accept any of them. I went and met Brother O. Panneerselvam as per the dictates of my conscience. He did not seek my support, I extended it voluntarily,” the legislator from Kaundampalayam told Covaipost.

Arukutty has been among the first to lend his open support to Panneerselvam after his fallout with V.K.Sasikala. He told Covai Post from Chennai that holding MLAs captive by Sasikala camp is `confusing’.

“But all MLAs could not be bought by Sasikala camp, which is making a mockery of democracy. Sasikala has insulted the elected MLAs by keeping them under lock and key and this should be condemned by everyone,” he said.

“Have the MLAs no place but resorts to stay in? There is already the MLA hostel. Where is the need for kidnapping them and hiding them from public view,” he asks.

About the goodwill he has earned from the people for supporting Panneeselvam he said “My decision to support Panneerselvam has caught the imagination of the people far and wide and I am getting a flurry of phone calls congratulating me for the right move. Calls are coming even from Gulf countries and Singapore where there are a lot of Tamils.”

“We are happy that we have voted for a good politician who is not after money and power they say in one voice,” Arukutty said, referring to the growing support for Pannerselvam among the people.

“We may not have the right arithmetic now to win the floor test. But the outpour of support is any indication that we will win ultimately, despite the evil plot hatched,” Arukutti said with a ring of confidence as “ultimately we will win as real inheritors of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s legacy”.