The no-confidence motion proposed by the DMK against Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal may have to wait several weeks to be taken up for consideration.
It was on February 14 that the House adjourned sine die, after adopting the Budget for 2019-20. Normally, the Assembly can meet after a gap of six months.
But the demands for grants for all government departments have not yet been approved by the House.
Last year, the Assembly, which was adjourned on March 22, met again on May 29, only to wrap up the session on July 9.
Though the Speaker has powers to summon the House on any date, the popular understanding is that there will not be any meeting till the results of the Lok Sabha polls and the byelections are revealed on May 23.
This is why government officials expect the Assembly to meet again either in June or the first week of July at the latest.
On the first day of such a meeting, the motion will have to be taken up for consideration, subject to the condition that the proposal is supported by no less than 35 MLAs, according to Rule 70 (1) of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules.
When the Assembly resumes its session in the second half of June or early July, the other rule — 14 days’ notice — will become superfluous.
As soon as leave of the House is granted, a discussion on the resolution can take place immediately, or the Assembly may have the discussion within a week, says Rule 70 (2).