Chennai: The ongoing political crisis in Puducherry is expected to end, as the House convenes today for the trust vote.
With two more MLAs of the Congress- DMK alliance in Puducherry resigning on Sunday, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy’s ruling side’s strength has further depleted to 11 against opposition’s 14 in the 33-member Assembly.
Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan had on Thursday ordered the floor test after the opposition, which has 14 MLAs, petitioned her, saying the government has been reduced to minority and it should prove its strength in the Assembly.
On Sunday, Congress member K Lakshminarayanan and DMK’s K Venkatesan quit the assembly, with the former saying the government lacked majority in the wake of the spate of resignations while the Dravidian party legislator hit out at the alleged lack of funds to meet people’s requirements. The present party position in the assembly: Congress (nine, including Speaker), DMK two, All-India NR Congress seven, AIADMK four, BJP three (all nominated with voting rights) and one independent who has supported the government. There are seven vacancies.
Lakshminarayanan said, “this government led by Narayanasamy has lost majority”.
Meanwhile, Narayanasamy, who held a meeting with the Congress and DMK MLAs and others here, said the discussions centered around the strategy to be adopted in the House on Monday.
“No final decision was taken by the participants at today’s meeting… ministers and legislators of the Congress DMK alliance attended and they only discussed the strategy to be adopted on Monday”, the Chief Minister said.
While ‘several suggestions’ were put forth in the meeting, it was ‘unanimously decided’ that the coalition MLAs will meet on Monday again before the start of the special session of the House to take final decision.