Congress govt in Puducherry to face floor test on Feb 22

Amid the ongoing political crisis in Puducherry, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday ordered the V. Narayansamy-led Congress government to face the floor test on February 22 to prove its majority in the Assembly.

In an official statement, the LG noted that both the ruling and the opposition alliances have the same strength of 14 MLAs each in the Assembly. The order came a few hours after Tamilisai took additional charge as the LG of Puducherry following the removal of Kiran Bedi from the post.

It further said that the session has been convened based on the representation made by opposition leader N. Rangasamy and 13 other MLAs to the governor at Raj Nivas on February 17, saying that the present government had lost its majority following the resignation of four of its members.

“They averred that the present government has been reduced to a minority and lost its legitimacy to continue. The delegation made a request that the present government needs to prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly,” said the statement.

The Congress party in the Union Territory, which was in a standoff with Bedi, has been accusing the BJP of trying to topple the government. “People know about the BJP’s game plan. They will give a fitting reply to the BJP in the forthcoming elections,” Chief Minister Narayanasamy told media.

However, the DMK which has three MLAs and a part of the Congress alliance has been silent on the issue over the past few days. While DMK president M.K. Stalin had commented on Bedi’s transfer, it remains to be seen if the party will vote in favour of the Congress on the floor of the house.