New Delhi: Tamil Nadu's Opposition parties, led by the DMK, met President Ram Nath Kovind today requesting him to order an immediate trust vote in the state assembly to test the strength of the AIADMK's E Palaniswami government, which they allege has now lost majority support.
The group, that included leaders of the Congress and Left parties, accused Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao of being "partisan" in refusing to convene an assembly session for Chief Minister Palaniswami to prove he has a majority.
The opposition math, as explained to the President, is that with 19 AIADMK legislators rebelling against Mr Palaniswami or EPS and several others allegedly close to announcing their dissent, the government now has the support of only 113 MLAs against the 117 it needs for a majority in the assembly.
The opposition team said they had met the Governor to request him to ask EPS to face a trust vote. The "Governor's delay in discharging his constitutional duties is causing a minority government to rule in the State unethically and unconstitutionally," they have alleged.
The BJP-led Centre - which backed the merger earlier this month of factions led by EPS and his predecessor and now deputy O Panneerselvam or OPS - has reportedly advised the party that if the DMK wants to test the state government's strength it must bring a no-confidence motion against it rather than asking the President or Governor to order a floor test.
They rebelled after the merger, which the AIADMK with that of his predecessor and now second in command O Panneerselvam or OPS and they decided to throw out Ms Sasikala and Mr Dhinakaran.
He had won a dramatic trust vote that saw the Speaker evict 88 DMK members out of the assembly for violence. The DMK has challenged it in court.
The group, that included leaders of the Congress and Left parties, accused Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao of being "partisan" in refusing to convene an assembly session for Chief Minister Palaniswami to prove he has a majority.
The opposition math, as explained to the President, is that with 19 AIADMK legislators rebelling against Mr Palaniswami or EPS and several others allegedly close to announcing their dissent, the government now has the support of only 113 MLAs against the 117 it needs for a majority in the assembly.
The opposition team said they had met the Governor to request him to ask EPS to face a trust vote. The "Governor's delay in discharging his constitutional duties is causing a minority government to rule in the State unethically and unconstitutionally," they have alleged.
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The BJP-led Centre - which backed the merger earlier this month of factions led by EPS and his predecessor and now deputy O Panneerselvam or OPS - has reportedly advised the party that if the DMK wants to test the state government's strength it must bring a no-confidence motion against it rather than asking the President or Governor to order a floor test.
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They rebelled after the merger, which the AIADMK with that of his predecessor and now second in command O Panneerselvam or OPS and they decided to throw out Ms Sasikala and Mr Dhinakaran.
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He had won a dramatic trust vote that saw the Speaker evict 88 DMK members out of the assembly for violence. The DMK has challenged it in court.
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