Just two months before going for election, the V Narayanasamy government was on Thursday asked by the newly-sworn in Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to prove majority in the House. The trust vote will be taken on February 22.
According to reports Ms Soundararajan called the chief minister on Thursday and handed over him a letter asking him to prove majority.
The decision has been taken after four of the fifteen Congress MLAs quit the party in the last few weeks—the last one resigned on February 16.
At present both the opposition and treasury benches have fourteen MLAs each. The Congress has been left with ten MLAs and enjoys the support of three DMK and one independent MLAs. On the other hand, the opposition comprising the AIADMK, BJP and NR Congress, have fourteen MLAs too. There are five vacancies in the 33-member House. The Lieutenant Governor’s decision followed the submission of a memorandum by the three opposition parties stating that the present Congress government is in a minority.
Meanwhile the state BJP president V Saminathan has called for the resignation of the chief minister. It needs to be mentioned that on Tuesday night the then Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi was removed by the Rashtrapati Bhawan and Telangana governor Ms. Soundararajan was given the additional charge of Puducherry.
All the Congress MLAs on Thursday night met under the leadership of the chief minister to chalk out a strategy for the floor test. They are likely to meet again on February 21.
