New Delhi: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanaswamy on Monday (February 22) submitted his resignation to Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan as his Congress-led government lost the majority ahead of the floor test in the Assembly.
Speaker VP Sivakolundhu announced that the Chief Minister could not prove his majority in the Assembly and adjourned the house sine die. The Treasury benches also raised the issue of voting rights to nominated MLAs.
Ahead of the result of the floor test, Narayanasamy alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was forcibly trying to implement Hindi in the UT, which follows the two-language system.
Addressing the Assembly ahead of the floor test, he alleged that the BJP is derailing India`s democratic system. He said, "What is happening in Puducherry now is political prostitution. But the truth will prevail."
He alleged that former Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and the Central government colluded with the Opposition in a bid to topple his government in the Union territory.
"Former LG Kiran Bedi and Central Government colluded with the Opposition and tried to topple the government. As our MLAs stayed united we managed to pull off the last 5 years. The Centre has betrayed the people of Puducherry by not granting funds we requested," said Narayanasamy in the Assembly.
"We formed the government with the support of DMK and independent MLAs. After that, we faced various elections. We have won all the by-elections. It is clear that people of Puducherry trust us," Narayanasamy added.
Flaying the Centre, he said, "We demanded full Statehood to stop the nominated LG from snatching the rights of the people of Puducherry," claiming that the Central government has betrayed the people of Puducherry by not granting the requested funds.
Earlier, Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan had ordered a floor test in assembly on February 22. The floor test came amid a spate of resignations including Congress MLAs A John Kumar and Lakshmi Narayanan and DMK MLA K Venkatesan.
The opposition has 14 members in 30-member Assembly whose effective strength is 28. It also enjoys the support of three nominated MLAs, all belonging to BJP.
Naranasamy, whose government slipped into the minority due to the resignation of six MLAs of the ruling alliance during the last one month, said MLAs who resigned will not be able to face the people as people will call them opportunists.
He claimed that people of the union territory are with the Congress-led government, and pointed out that after forming the government with the support of DMK and independent MLAs, the alliance won all by-elections.
Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundrarajan, who took on the additional charge of Puducherry Lieutenant Governor, on February 18 directed the chief minister to prove his majority in Assembly.
Two more legislators resigned on Sunday, reducing the ruling alliance`s strength to 12 in the 30-member Assembly.
With this, Congress lost its only government in the south. As the Assembly polls in the union territory are due in May, it remains to be seen if Lieutenant Governor recommends President`s rule or invite NR Congress-led opposition alliance to form the government.
The UT is going to Assembly polls later this year. The dates are yet to be announced.
(With Agency Inputs)
