Brandy, Bribes, and Ballots: The TASMAC Scam That Could Rewrite Tamil Nadu Politics”

Poonam Sharma 

When Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin boards a flight to Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog meeting on May 24, he won’t just be carrying files and agendas—he’ll be carrying the weight of one of the biggest political scandals in the state’s recent history. The ₹1,000 crore TASMAC liquor scam, now dubbed TasmacGate, is not just a bureaucratic blunder—it’s a ticking political time bomb.

And as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) tightens its grip, the ripples are rattling the very foundations of the DMK’s first family.

From Barrels of Booze to Barrels of Bribes

What began as routine financial scrutiny has now mushroomed into a full-blown corruption investigation. The ED’s raids on the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) have exposed alleged financial irregularities that run deep: kickbacks from liquor companies, rigged tenders, inflated invoices, and money-laundering networks—each strand linking back, either directly or by association, to the power circles of Tamil Nadu’s ruling party.

TASMAC, the government-run monopoly for liquor sales in the state, is no stranger to controversy. But this time, the controversy is not just about moral questions or drunken driving. It’s about how public infrastructure was allegedly used as a front for private gain. It’s about how liquor money, sourced from common consumers, may have been routed to build media empires and finance multi-crore film productions.

And it’s about how far the rot might go.

The Unholy Nexus: Bureaucrats, Politicians, and Producers

At the heart of this scandal is S. Visakan, the Managing Director of TASMAC. The ED grilled him for nearly 20 hours over two days, and sources claim that they uncovered crucial WhatsApp chat printouts from near his residence. These were not idle exchanges—they reportedly contain instructions on which liquor brands to push and who should get which tender. And shockingly, some of these instructions were allegedly issued by Ratheesh Velu—a man with no official designation, but reportedly a childhood friend of Udhayanidhi Stalin.

One such brand name that keeps cropping up in the chat logs is Erica XO Brandy, allegedly promoted through specific directives from Ratheesh to Visakan. How does a private citizen issue procurement orders to a government-run corporation? That’s the million-dollar—or in this case, ₹1,000 crore—question.

And the plot thickens. Ratheesh Velu is now on the run, reportedly having fled the country just before the ED came knocking. His MRC Nagar residence is sealed, his whereabouts unknown. But what’s left behind is enough to set political circles on fire.

Enter the Silver Screen: The Akash Baskaran Angle

Another surprise name in this growing list is Akash Baskaran, a rising film producer who heads Dawn Pictures. His company is currently bankrolling big-budget Tamil films starring A-listers like Dhanush, Sivakarthikeyan, and Silambarasan TR. But the question on everyone’s lips is: where is the money coming from?

Akash, whose father owns a jewellery shop in Salem, seems to have leapfrogged from assistant director to film mogul overnight. His marriage in 2024 to Dharaneeswari, granddaughter of DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, has tied him to the ruling dynasty. His alleged role in laundering unaccounted funds from TASMAC into Tamil cinema is now under ED scrutiny.

And here’s the kicker—if Dawn Pictures is indeed a front for laundering liquor profits, it’s not just a financial crime. It’s a political powder keg.

The Opposition Smells Blood

The opposition isn’t letting this opportunity go. The AIADMK has launched the #YaarAnthaThambi (“Who is that brother?”) campaign, demanding to know how Ratheesh Velu, an unelected, unofficial figure, came to wield such influence. BJP leaders have called for resignations, arrests, and full public disclosure.

Their playbook is clear: use the scandal to frame the DMK as corrupt, dynastic, and disconnected from the people. It’s a strategy that worked for the BJP in Delhi during the liquor policy scandal, and Tamil Nadu’s opposition parties are betting it’ll work here too.

If even a fraction of the allegations are proven, the political damage could be immense.

Why Stalin’s Delhi Dash Matters

In normal times, a Chief Minister attending a national policy meeting would barely raise eyebrows. But these are not normal times. Stalin’s sudden change of heart—boycotting the NITI Aayog in 2023 and attending in 2024—has drawn sharp attention. Is he seeking political backing from the Centre? Is he trying to cut a deal behind closed doors?

The optics are damning, even if the intentions aren’t. With ED raids still underway and no clarity on the whereabouts of key figures, the timing couldn’t be worse.

A State on the Edge

Tamil Nadu has a long history of corruption allegations swaying electoral outcomes. The 2G scam, the Gutka scam, the Granite scam—all played roles in turning the political tide. Now, the ₹1,000 crore liquor scam may join that list.

For a party that thrives on populist welfare, progressive branding, and cultural capital, the DMK now faces an image crisis. Stalin’s governance credentials are being questioned. Udhayanidhi’s political ambitions are under fire. And the party’s film industry connections, once a strength, are now a potential liability.

The 2026 State elections are still some distance away. But make no mistake—the battle lines are being drawn now.

This is no longer just about alcohol. It’s about power, privilege, and political survival. And in Tamil Nadu, that’s always a combustible mix.