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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Dinakaran makes it tough for AIADMK, oppn wants floor test

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CHENNAI: The opposition on Tuesday demanded a floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly after the AIADMK group led by jailed General Secretary V K Sasikala’s nephew T T V Dinakaran (pictured) withdrew support to Chief Minister K Palaniswami, reducing the government to a minority.


DMK Working President M K Stalin and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss urged Governor C V Rao to ask Palaniswami to prove his majority immediately in the House after the Dinakaran group said it wanted the Chief Minister changed.


Speaking to a television channel after meeting the Governor, Sasikala-Dinakaran loyalist Thangathamizh Chelvan said: “We have told the Governor that we will be taking steps to change Chief Minister Palaniswami.”


The Dinakaran faction has been upset over its isolation in the ruling party whose two major factions, led by Palaniswami and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, united a day earlier. The merged party also decided to sack Sasikala as General Secretary.


Nineteen legislators belonging to the Dinakaran faction met the Governor on Tuesday at Raj Bhavan. They were later ferried to a resort in Puducherry to safeguard them from switching their loyalty.


Chief Minister Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam reportedly went into a huddle after the Dinakaran group met the Governor. Details of their meeting or what they plan to do to counter the threat to the government were not immediately known.


Reacting to the developments, Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the House, told Rao in a letter: “Any inordinate delay in asking the Chief Minister to prove his majority will pave the way for continuance of an unconstitutional government and it will destabilise the democratic norms and precedents established in demonstrating the confidence of the House.”


He said this will give room for “evil practice of horse-trading” which he added was seen when Palaniswami proved his majority earlier. — IANS


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