DMK’s M. K. Stalin with others after meeting with the Governor (ANI)
After meeting governor C. Vidyasagar Rao, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M K Stalin on Sunday demanded immediate floor test in the Tamil Nadu assembly, adding that his party would be forced to take legal action if the Governor does not pay heed to the request. “If the Governor does not respond to our request within a week then we will have to take legal resort and mobilize peoples’ mandate,” Stalin was quoted as saying by ANI.
The DMK-led opposition has been claiming that the Palaniswami-led AIADMK government has “lost its majority” with the dissent by 21 of its MLAs and the DMK having a strength of 98 in the House.
Stalin also informed the Governor of the current tally of the Opposition. “Apprised Govenor of tally – 89 DMK MLAs, eight Congress MLAs, an IUML MLA which comes to 98, also rebel AIADMK MLAs are 21, making it 119 in total,” the leader of opposition said.
Earlier, TTV Dinakaran-led faction dealt a severe blow to the merger of the two other factions led by CM Palaniswami and his predecessor O Panneerselvam after withdrawning their supporting to the government.
Stalin had warned of a “people’s struggle” to unseat the AIADMK government, if no action was taken. “This is not for grabbing power, but to safeguard the self-respect of the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Earlier, talking to scribes, CPI(M)general secretary Sitaram Yechury had said,”The point is that any government of a country has to enjoy the majority of legislative members that can be demonstrated only on the floor of the house. Without a floor test, any action taken by the government doesn’t have the mandate of a majority.”
In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, which has one seat vacant (R K Nagar, represented by late J Jayalalithaa), the AIADMK has 134 MLAs, excluding the speaker. The opposition DMK has 89 legislators, its allies Congress eight and IUML one. The Dhinakaran camp has been pressing for the ouster of Palaniswami as chief minister since the factions, led by the latter and his predecessor Panneerselvam respectively, merged on August 21.
– with inputs from PTI, ANI
