Floor test: DMK seeks HC direction to Governor

Referring to individual letters given by 19 MLAs of the ruling party headed by the TTV faction to the Governor on August 22, DMK working president MK Stalin, who moved the plea, said, by handing over the letters, the said MLAs have withdrawn their support to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and hence he does enjoy a majority. 

Noting that by being the Leader of the Opposition, he was not only justified but also duty bound to seek an immediate floor test, Stalin said, and added that many MLAs who had earlier voted in support of the incumbent Chief Minister have also started to withdraw their support. 

Alleging that the Governor by abdicating his Constitutional duties is clearly working in tandem with the political party in power and deliberately delaying the trust vote, Stalin in his petition said, “Delay in directing immediate floor test is liable to encourage horse trading and give rise to unsavoury political manipulations in the state.” 

Also, submitting that the Governor is required to perform his constitutional responsibility in a fair and objective manner, he said, “Calling a ministry, which has lost the confidence of majority members of the House, is not discretion, but a duty of the Governor.” “The exercise of such power is not a privilege but a matter of performance of official duty. By not calling for trust vote, the governor has clearly failed in performing his constitutional duty,” he stressed and sought the court to direct the Governor to order for a floor test of the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Stalin also wanted the floor test to be held under the supervision of an independent observer appointed by the High Court. The plea also sought for a direction to stall the Chief Minister from taking any major policy decisions pending disposal of the writ petition. 

Addressing the media later, Stalin said that his party would move the no-confidence motion when the House gets re-convened. “If the CM has the courage to prove his majority, he can recommend the Governor to convene the House. If re-convened (like that), the DMK will move no-confidence motion in the House,” he said.