The Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy on Monday resigned from his post even before seeking trust vote on the floor of the Assembly.
The chief minister was asked by the Lieutenant Governor Ms. Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday last to prove his majority after four MLAs of the ruling Congress party had resigned. On the eve of the trust vote on Sunday another Congress and a DMK legislator also quit their respective seats reducing the number of the ruling combination from 14 to 12.
On Monday Narayanasamy, while speaking during the trust vote in the House, highlighted the achievements of his government. He held the outgoing Lieutenant Governor, Kiran Bedi, responsible for the present situation in the Union Territory. He then along with other party MLAs walked out of the House in protest against the stand of the speaker V. P. Sivakolundhu. Upon this the Speaker announced that the government had lost the majority.
It was over the voting right to three nominated members of the Assembly that the Speaker took the stand which was not accepted by the Congress-led government. V. P. Sivakolundhu, while quoting a Supreme Court ruling, allowed three nominated BJP MLAs to take part in the trust vote. With the voting right to three nominated members accepted by the Speaker the strength of opposition increased from 11 to 14. Thus, in this way, the Congress lost the majority.
The chief minister then went to meet the Lieutenant Governor to submit his resignation.
The party has charged the Central government with murdering democracy in the Union Territory.
