DMK raises pitch for floor test with Governor

Stalin pitched for a valid government through a free and fair floor test in the Assembly. Speaking to reporters, Stalin said, “In the last nine months, the government machinery was completely crippled. Even after caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam took over the government, nothing happened,” he said. When asked whether DMK would support Governor’s rule in the state, the Leader of Opposition pointed out that they wanted everything to happen as per the Constitution. 

Earlier in the day, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and state DGP T K Rajendran called on the Governor. Reliable sources said that the top bureaucrat and police official in the state had met the Governor to appraise him of the developments in the administration. With the ruling party clearly split into two, senior police officials and bureaucrats remain confused on whom to take orders from. Raj Bhavan sources said that the Governor is most likely to take a decision only after the verdict is pronounced in the DA case against VK Sasikala.

Late on Friday night, an anonymous letter that was circulated to media houses stating that Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao had communicated to the Centre that it would not be prudent to invite AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala to form the government set off frantic calls to media houses. A majority of the television news channels and some news websites had picked up the story. However, the commotion came to an end with Raj Bhavan officially denying that the Governor had sent any such letter to the Centre.