Annamalai alleges TVK ministers demanded cuts, claims audio proof

We The Leaders founder K. Annamalai on Sunday (August 16, 2026) accused some ministers in Tamil Nadu's TVK-led government of demanding cuts of 2% to 4% on contracts. Speaking at a meeting in Chennai, he claimed to possess an audio clip to support his charge but did not name any minister. He said he was flagging the issue now to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, adding that his party would raise it publicly after a year if unchecked.

Annamalai urged the chief minister to control his ministers and officials. He acknowledged that 101 of the 108 MLAs are first-time legislators and called for giving the government a year to prove itself. He also pointed to the 2026 Budget savings of Rs 15,000 crore and proposed allocating Rs 5,000 crore each for waterbody protection, school infrastructure, and rural development.

Responding to claims that he is the BJP's B team, Annamalai said Amit Shah had asked him to move to Delhi but he refused, preferring to stay in Tamil Nadu. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an honest man and urged the Centre to mediate in the Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.