Chief Minister V Narayanasamy accused BJP of planning an “Operation Kamal (lotus)” within the Union Territory
Highlights
- Puducherry ground check will happen by 5 pm Monday: Lt Governor
- Lt Governor cited BJP’s view that Congress now not has majority
- Puducherry probably headed for President’s Rule simply months earlier than polls
The Congress authorities in Puducherry will face a check of power on Monday, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan mentioned right now, citing the opposition’s stand that the ruling get together now not loved a majority.
Simply months earlier than an election, the state authorities is believed to have misplaced its skinny majority after 4 latest resignations, although Chief Minister V Narayanasamy denies this. He insists that two of these resignations are but to be accepted.
Ms Soundararajan, who took cost as Lieutenant Governor yesterday after Kiran Bedi’s sudden elimination, mentioned a ground check was wanted to establish whether or not the Congress authorities enjoys a majority. The vote will happen by 5 pm on Monday.
An announcement mentioned the Lieutenant Governor had conveyed to Mr Narayanasamy that the meeting would meet for a “single agenda, particularly whether or not the federal government of the incumbent Chief
Minister continues to benefit from the confidence of the Home.”
Of the 30 elected MLAs within the meeting, the Congress had 15 members and, together with the DMK’s three and one unbiased member, was simply previous the bulk mark of 16.
After the resignations, the federal government and the opposition each are at 14. The Congress has 10 members, leaving the federal government one in need of the bulk mark, which has dropped to fifteen with the meeting power coming down to twenty-eight.
Elections are due in Puducherry, together with neighbouring Tamil Nadu, by Might.
Three prospects have emerged.
If the Congress loses the vote, the Lieutenant Governor might ask the AINRC, as the following greatest get together, to type the federal government.
The Congress might scrape by means of if the 2 lawmakers whose resignations haven’t been accepted have a change of coronary heart. Or if two opposition members abstain or skip the vote.
The Congress might additionally preempt its defeat by dissolving the home and in search of recent elections. The Union Territory would then be positioned below Governor’s rule or Mr Narayanasamy might change into caretaker Chief Minister till the polls.
The BJP mentioned Mr Narayanasamy’s authorities would fall on Monday. “He has misplaced his majority and his declare of getting a majority is fake. His authorities will fall on February 22. All 14 Opposition MLAs are united,” mentioned Puducherry BJP President V Saminathan.
Two of the 4 Congress MLAs who’ve give up since final month have joined the BJP. A Namassivayam and E.Theeppainjan each resigned on January 25.
Malladi Krishna Rao and John Kumar, who resigned earlier this week, are additionally believed to be headed to the BJP.
Mr Narayanasamy, nonetheless, mentioned their resignations weren’t closing and that he was assured of bringing them round. He accused the BJP of planning an “Operation Kamal (lotus)” within the Union Territory, utilizing the opposition’s time period for what they name the BJP’s technique of engineering defections and toppling governments.
“The BJP is poaching MLAs, threatening them. However I do know the BJP nicely, they’re giving false guarantees to lure MLAs. Individuals are speaking about it, this MLA has been bought, this minister has been bought,” Mr Narayanasamy mentioned. Within the 2016 polls, the BJP contested 18 of 30 seats and misplaced all. This time, the get together is banking on imports from the Congress, particularly regional heavyweights who constructed a powerful base for the Congress through the years.
