Supreme Court rejects petition for CBI probe into alleged horse‑trading by Tamil Nadu minister and ex‑MLAs

Supreme Court turned down a petition asking for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged horse‑trading by Tamil Nadu minister N. Anand and four former AIADMK legislators. The petition, filed by resident M. Srinivasan and argued by lawyer Achintya Tiwari, claimed Anand and ex‑MLAs K. Maragatham Kumaravel, S. Jayakumar, P. Sathyabama and E. Subaya swapped support for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government after the May 2026 assembly election. Srinivasan sought a court‑ordered inquiry, a time‑bound final report, and asked the bench to use Article 142 to set strict rules barring disqualified or resigned MLAs from contesting by‑polls without a valid reason. He also wanted the Union government, Election Commission and Tamil Nadu state to recover election‑related costs from the four legislators and to force them to deposit the full expenses for upcoming by‑elections. Chief Justice Surya Kant’s bench rejected the plea, leaving the matter with the existing investigative agencies. TVK formed the state government with support from the Indian National Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League, Communist Party of India and CPI(M). In the floor test that followed, 25 MLAs, including the four named legislators, ignored the party whip and voted for the TVK coalition. ## Context The term “horse‑trading” refers to the practice of legislators changing allegiance for personal or political gain, a concern in Indian politics whenever a government’s majority is narrow. The Supreme Court’s refusal means any further legal push must go through ordinary criminal or anti‑corruption channels rather than a direct court‑ordered CBI probe.