Puducherry CM told to face floor test Monday
Tamilisai takes charge as L-G; Prez rule not ruled out
Puducherry’s new lieutenant-governor Tamilisai Soundararajan directed the ruling Congress-DMK alliance on Thursday to prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly before 5 pm on February 22.
The strength of the ruling and Opposition camps stand at 14 each in the 33member UT House, including three nominated BJP legislators, which now has an effective strength of only 28. While Speaker V.P. Sivakolundhu is likely to vote in favour of the ruling Congress and save the V. Narayanasamy government, it is speculated that the BJP may want to throw its hat into the ring. BJP leader A. Namassivayam, state party chief V. Saminathan and Puducherry in-charge Nirmal Kumar Surana have rushed to New Delhi to hold talks with Union home minister Amit Shah.
Sources have claimed that if the BJP is unable to cobble up the numbers, it may want the Assembly dissolved, bring the UT under Central rule and face polls in April-May.
The DMK is meanwhile trying to cash in on the current crisis to seal a seats deal with the Congress for the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry polls. While the DMK may not upset its ally’s applecart now, it is eyeing the Puducherry CM’s chair on winning the polls. While both the ruling side and the Opposition know what their numbers are on paper, the fear of cross-voting during a trust vote looms large.
The Opposition, led by former chief minister N. Rangasamy, and with 13 other MLAs, submitted a
letter to the L-G saying the V. Narayansamy-led government had lost its majority due to the resignation of four Congress MLAs and the disqualification of another member.
As Ms Soundararajan took over additional charge as Puducherry L-G on Thursday morning, she said she will function as a “people’s governor” and act according to the Constitution. Ms Tamilisai directed the chief secretary and DGP to make the necessary arrangements for a trust vote. The L-G told Mr Narayanasamy that the Assembly will meet on Monday and be confined to a single agenda -- namely, whether the government of the incumbent CM continues to enjoy the confidence
of the House. The voting will take place by a show of hands and the entire proceedings will be videographed, a release from the L-G’s secretariat said.
Thursday’s developments came days after yet another Congress MLA resigned, becoming the fourth to quit since last month, bringing down the Congress-DMK’s numbers to 14. M r Narayanasamy earlier in the day attended Ms Soundararajan’s swearing-in and also called on her later.
The present party position is: Congress (10, including Speaker), DMK three, All India NR Congress seven, AIADMK four, Bhartiya Janata Party three (all nominated, with voting rights) and one Independent, who has supported the government all along.
Four Congress MLAs have resigned, and one member has been disqualified. The simple majority in the Assembly with the reduced strength is 15.
The elections are likely in April and the House’s term ends on June 8.