Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has declared Rs 13.3 crore in voluntary contributions for the financial year 2025-26. According to figures submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI), two of its own ministers gave almost all of the money.
Two Ministers Give 99% of the Funds
TVK said it received donations from just four donors. Sports and Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna donated Rs 8.2 crore, while minister RV Ranjithkumar gave Rs 5 crore.
Arjuna is the party’s biggest donor, accounting for more than 60 per cent of the total contributions reported for the year. Together, the two ministers made up 99 per cent of the funds.
Two Small Donations From Thoothukudi
The filing also shows two smaller donations of Rs 5 lakh each. One came from Snow Sho, located in Lions Town, Thoothukudi, and was paid through a demand draft. The other came from Snow Exports & Imports, which is registered at the same address, also through a demand draft.
DMK Reports Much Larger Funding
The filings also showed far bigger contributions to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The party reported around Rs 191.19 crore in donations. Its biggest donor was Tiger Associates, which gave Rs 125 crore.
Tiger Associates is a Kolkata-based lottery firm. It is linked to lottery businessman Santiago Martin through a common business associate. Its designated partner, Subbayan Nagarajan, is a long-time associate of Martin, and company records show the two are partners in another firm.
Electoral Bonds Link
Martin’s company, Future Gaming and Hotel Services, was the biggest buyer of electoral bonds before the Supreme Court struck down the scheme in February 2024. Electoral bonds were a way for people and companies to donate money to political parties without revealing their names to the public.
After the scheme was scrapped, disclosures made public showed that Future Gaming had given Rs 509 crore to the DMK through electoral bonds.
The Filings Also Cover AIADMK
The filings also detailed contributions to the AIADMK. However, the details provided here do not include the amount the AIADMK received or who its donors were.
Why It Matters
Political funding is a sensitive issue in India because voters want to know who is backing parties and why. TVK’s numbers show a party that, in this reporting year, depended mostly on its own leaders. The DMK’s figures show a heavy reliance on a single large donor.
Reporting a donation does not mean anything improper happened. These are contributions declared to the Election Commission, and the report does not suggest any wrongdoing by the donors or the parties.
