The Congress-led government in Puducherry lost the confidence vote. It lost at 11 against the opposition’s 14 following resignation of ruling dispensation MLA which includes a DMK legislator. Though Mr Narayanasamy, the Chief Minister moved the motion seeking the confidence vote, he and his ruling side MLAs later walked out before the motion was put for voting.
Speaker VP Sivakolundhu declared that the motion stood defeated. Two more MLAs resigned, pushing down the coalition further into the crisis ahead of polls.
Out of the 30 elected MLAs in the assembly, Congress had 15 members. Along with the DMK’s two and one independent, was just past the majority mark of 16. Six MLAs have resigned in the last few weeks. The Congress has traditionally enjoyed a strong hold on Puducherry but this time round, it is having a hard time. Four-time Congress MLA Lakshminarayanan while putting in his papers on Sunday said he is upset over not getting “recognition” in the party. He said he will leave the party too. A DMK MLA Venkatesan also resigned.
Puducherry also saw removal of Kiran Bedi as Lieutenant-Governor. For four-and-a-half years, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy campaigned for Kiran Bedi’s removal. But when it befell, it happened to be in a time when his government looked shaky. Elections are due by May in Puducherry and neighbouring Tamil Nadu, besides Kerala, West Bengal and Assam.
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