Resign or prove majority, AIADMK tells Pondy CM

The AIADMK made this demand as the resignation of the ruling Congress members had weakened the strength of the party in the House.

The leader of the legislature wing of the AIADMK A Anbalagan said in a press release that A Namassivayam, who was number-two in the Narayanasamy-headed government, had resigned from the post of the PWD Minister and also the MLA post.

Another Congress legislator E Theeppainthan too quit the MLA post, reducing the strength of the Congress to a minority.

Therefore, Anbalagan said, the Chief Minister should come forward and prove his government's majority.

He said the Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi should direct convening of a special session of the House to ascertain the majority of the government.

Anbalagan said the AIADMK and its alliance partners would submit a memorandum soon to the Lieutenant Governor seeking a directive for the session.

The current political developments have weakened the government. Routine administration has also come to a standstill and the Chief Minister has failed to implement the promises made in the Congress election manifesto, Anbalagan said.

He cited the government`s failure to re-open the Cooperative Sugar Mill to increase the monthly assistance paid to the aged people and also to provide jobs for the youth.

''These were among the monumental failures of the Congress government,'' he said.

Narayanasamy should voluntarily resign from the post of Chief Minister or prove majority, he added.

Namassivayam and Theeppainthan who quit on January 25 have since joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Namassivayan was elected from Villianoor constituency while Theeppainthan was elected from Oussudu (reserved)segment.

The former had alleged that the Chief Minister was intervening in his department and also failed to have cordial relations with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central government and the Puducherry Lieutanant Governor.

These charges were refuted and termed untrue and untenable, by the Chief Minister while speaking to reporters in Karaikal on Thursday.

The party-wise break-up in the territorial Assembly now is: Congress (12 including Speaker), DMK (three), Independent(one), AIADMK (four) and AINRC (seven).

There are two nominated members belonging to the BJP following the death of K G Shankar recently.