Puducherry: In a huge setback for the Congress party ahead of the Assembly elections in Puducherry, the V Narayanasamy government lost its majority in the Union Territory today.
After walking out of the Assembly, Narayanasamy tendered his resignation to Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.
Earlier in the day, speaking in the Assembly, Narayanasamy accused the opposition of trying to topple the government.
“Former LG Kiran Bedi and Central government colluded with the Opposition and tried to topple the government. It is clear that the people of Puducherry trust us. This is a government elected by the people.”
This morning, though Narayanasamy moved the motion seeking the confidence vote minutes after the Assembly met for a special one-day session, he and his ruling side MLAs later walked out before the motion was put for voting.
Assembly Speaker VP Sivakolundhu announced that the Chief Minister has failed to prove his majority and adjourned the house sine die.
With the Congress losing power, the rival NR Congress-led alliance, which has 14 MLAs, may be asked to form government with just three months to the polls. The Lieutenant Governor may also call for President’s rule.
Over the past few weeks, many Congress and DMK MLAs have been submitting their resignations. On Sunday, the ruling coalition lost two more MLAs; Congress’s K Lakshminarayanan and its partner DMK’s K Venkatesan resigned. Four-time Congress MLA Lakshminarayanan said he was upset at not getting recognition in the party.
He said he wasn’t made a Minister, Speaker or party chief and that the NR Congress and BJP had approached him.
Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan called the Chief Minister on Thursday and ordered him to take a floor test on Monday citing the opposition’s stand that his government no longer has a majority. She called for the vote a day after taking charge following Kiran Bedi’s sudden removal as Lieutenant Governor on Tuesday.