TTV Dhinakaran makes debut in TN Assembly, DMK stages walkout during Governor's speech
Both DMK and TTV Dhinakaran have been demanding a floor test ever since the disqualified MLAs met then Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao in September last year.
In Short
- TTV Dhinakaran hit out at Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilarl Purohit.
- Dhinakaran said, the Governor should have ordered CM K Palaniswami to face floor test.
- He also expressed his displeasure over the governor visiting various districts of state.
Day One of the Tamil Nadu Assembly session began on a stormy note, with Opposition leader MK Stalin's DMK staging a walkout.
As Governor Banwarilal Purohit began his address, Stalin waved his hand in protest and walked. "The governor has ignore(d) the Opposition('s) request for a floor test. Also, this governor has been conducting review meetings of state officials. This is against democracy," he told reporters.
But what gave the Edappadi Palaniswami government even more jitters was the entry of TTV Dhinakaran, the new MLA from Chennai's RK Nagar - J Jayalalithaa's former constituency. He entered Fort St George - the administrative centre of the Tamil Nadu capital - accompanied by the 18 MLAs recently disqualified by the Speaker.
Thangatamizhselvan, a member of the TTV Dhinakaran camp, said all those lawmakers would soon re-enter the assembly.
Both the DMK and TTV Dhinakaran have been demanding a floor test ever since the disqualified MLAs met the then Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao in September last year, and told him that they had lost confidence in Chief Minister Palaniswami.
Today, MK Stalin and Dhinakaran, an independent MLA, reiterated their claim that Palaniswami lacked the numbers to head the government, apparently referring to the revolt of the 18 MLAs.
Stalin claimed it was "clear" that the government had the support of only 111 MLAs in a 235-strong House.
A confident Dhinakaran said there were still many "sleeper cells" in the Assembly. "Many AIADMK MLAs inside the assembly wanted to wish me but obviously they were scared. This government will fall soon," he said.
(Inputs from PTI)
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