Governor Vidyasagar Rao asks for report on floor test

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy won the confidence motion held on Saturday with 122 votes while rival AIADMK faction headed by O Panneerselvam could manage just 11 votes in which DMK, Congress and IUML legislators did not participate.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition and DMK Working President MK Stalin and AIADMK leaders from the OPS faction had given written complaints to the Governor and appraised him of the events that took place in the Assembly during the floor test and the subsequent violence that broke out. While Opposition DMK legislators were evicted from the Assembly after the ruckus broke out in the House, Congress MLAs and the lone IUML legislator stayed away from the proceedings in condemnation.

Both the DMK and the OPS faction have demanded a nullification of the floor test and called for a fresh confidence motion with a secret ballot after about five days to allow sufficient time for the MLAs to visit their constituencies and find out what the people want. 

Trouble began at the floor of the House soon after Chief Minister Palanisamy moved a resolution seeking to prove his majority. The DMK and Congress MLAs demanded that the floor test be conducted through secret ballot and a postponement of the confidence motion by a week. When the Speaker refused to entertain the demands, mayhem ensued with the Speaker bearing the brunt of Opposition MLAs’ ire following which Marshalls were brought in and DMK legislators evicted.

The evicted MLAs headed by Leader of the Opposition MK Stalin later staged a protest at the Marina Beach on Saturday evening claiming that the floor test was held in an undemocratic manner and that a majority of the AIADMK MLAs were help captive at a private resort in Koovathur and forced to vote against their will. 

Late on Saturday night, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan held a discussion with Speaker Dhanapal at the Secretariat following which she presented a report to the Governor’s office.