Led by the DMK, the Tamil Nadu’s Opposition parties met Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Saturday and sought dismissal of the Edappadi K. Palaniswami government, alleging it won the February 18 trust vote by horse-trading.
DMK working president M.K. Stalin also sought a CBI probe into the issue based on a ‘sting’ operation by a private TV channel, besides the Enforcement Directorate (ED) joining the investigation.
“The trust vote was won (by the Palaniswami government) only due to horse-trading. So that voting should be cancelled and this government should be dismissed immediately,” Mr. Stalin, also the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, said.
These demands have been raised with the Governor and he has “assured” us to look into the legal aspects of the matter, Mr. Stalin added.
Mr. Stalin said he had earlier demanded secret ballot for the February 18 trust vote which was not heeded to.
“This government is running on a trust vote won by horse-trading. This sting operation has proved that,” he said, referring to the O. Panneerselvam camp member and Madurai (South) MLA S.S. Saravanan reportedly making claims in this regard.
The legislator has, however, denied it was his voice in the TV video footage on alleged horse-trading, though, he had admitted that it was him in the video.
“It is me in the video, but the voice is not mine,” Mr. Saravanan had said.
The matter related to purported claims by Mr. Saravanan in the TV ‘sting’ operation about alleged pay-offs to ruling party MLAs ahead of the trust vote that was won by incumbent Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.
Mr. Stalin, accompanied by Congress Legislature Party Leader K.R. Ramasamy and Indian Union Muslim League MLA KAM Mohammed Abubakker, said the Opposition parties will discuss the future course of action if the Governor did not act on their demands.