Oppn in Puducherry calls for a floor test

CHENNAI: A day after the Congress government in Puducherry slipped below the majority mark, the Opposition led by former chief minister N Rangasamy submitted a petition seeking a floor test to the lieutenant governor (L-G)’s office on Wednesday, just months ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the Union Territory.

Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who has been given the additional charge of Puducherry, arrived in the UT in the evening. “She will officially take charge on Thursday and we will hand over the petition for the floor test to her,” said an official from the the L-G’s office, requesting anonymity.

Amidst the unfolding of the political drama, Kiran Bedi was replaced as the Puducherry L-G on Tuesday.

“I will handle Telangana and Puducherry. I’m a gynaecologist. So I can handle twins,” Soundararajan told reporters after reaching Puducherry. When asked about her appointment amidst the political instability, she said, “I can’t answer on speculations...I’m a people’s governor...for the people of Puducherry, I have come here. My activities will benefit people.”

By Wednesday evening, three the BJP leaders from the UT were on a flight to Delhi after being called for a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda, according to BJP’s Puducherry president V Saminathan. The delegation comprised Saminthan; Nirmal Kumar Surana, who is the party in-charge for the UT; and A Namassivayam, who quit as a minister in the Congress government and joined the BJP in January.

In Puducherry, both the ruling and opposition sides claim the support of 14 legislators each. The assembly has 30 elected and three nominated members. With Congress legislator A John Kumar’s resignation on Tuesday, the Congress’s tally in the House dropped to 10, including speaker V P Sivakolunthu. Three more Congress MLAs have resigned since January. It also has the support of three MLAs from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and an independent MLA.

The Opposition comprises the All India NR Congress, a splinter group of Rangasamy that holds seven seats, and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which has four members. Three members of the BJP have been nominated as MLAs. Unlike some other states, the nominated members can vote in the Puducherry assembly. Political analysts said the speaker can vote if there is a tie in case of a floor test and added that he cannot vote during a confidence motion. “A few more Congress MLAs will resign in the coming days…we are not sure if they want to join BJP or remain independent, but by February 20, the BJP’s majority will be proved,” said a local BJP leader.