Puducherry CM Narayanasamy to seek vote of confidence in Assembly today

In Puducherry, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy will seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly today. Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has  directed Narayanasamy government to prove majority on the floor of the House by 5 PM today.

Meanwhile, political crisis has further deepened in Puducherry after two ruling alliance MLAs resigned from Assembly yesterday, a day before a floor test. Congress MLA K Lakshminarayanan and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) legislator Venkatesan announced their resignations yesterday. Four Congress MLAs had quit earlier, while another party legislator was disqualified for anti-party activities last



year.

Following the resignations of six MLAs and one disqualification, the effective strength of the Puducherry Assembly is 26. The government has 12 MLAs — one short of the halfway mark. This includes the Speaker, a Congress MLA — but he cannot vote unless there is a tie.

The opposition has 14 MLAs — 7 from NR Congress, 4 from the AIADMK, and three MLAs nominated by the central government.

After holding consultations with the Congress-led alliance, chief minister Narayanasamy told reporters that he will announce his decision on the floor of the House, when the assembly convenes at 10 am today.