DMK working president and opposition leader MK Stalin filed a petition in the Madras High Court on Tuesday, demanding a floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly due to the current political crisis. The Madras HC is scheduled to hear the petition on October 10.
He had met Governor Vidyasagar Rao just two days ago, asking for a floor test.
Stalin stated in the petition that the Chief Minister does not have a majority in the Assembly. “In these circumstances, it is prayed that this Hon’ble Court may issue a writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ order or direction, directing the Respondents to hold trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly forthwith,” it read.
He also asked for the appointment of an independent observer to supervise the floor test. “It is also prayed that a floor test be conducted under the supervision of an independent observer appointed by this Hon’ble Court,” he said in the petition.
Addressing the media after filing the petition, Stalin said that he had met the Governor on Sunday and asked him to take a decision democratically, and would move the Madras High Court if there wasn’t one. “So, today we went and filed a petition in the Madras High Court. They have been saying that they have the majority, in that case, they should speak to the Governor and call for an assembly session then DMK will call for a no confidence motion,” he said.
The petition highlighted that they had met the Governor repeatedly, but no action was taken. “However, despite repeated requests, the Respondent No.3 (Governor) has been acting contrary to the constitutional mandate as well as the decisions of the various Constitution Benches of the Hon’ble Supreme Court laying down law that it is the duty of Governor, in such a situation, to call for the floor test,” it stated.
Stalin, in the petition, claims that the Governor cast aside his duties and worked with the party to delay the trust vote. “The Respondent No. 3 (Governor), by abdicating his Constitutional duties, is clearly working in tandem with the political party in the power, and deliberately delaying the trust vote. It is evident from the fact that in the interregnum, the minority government headed by Respondent No. 4 (Edappadi Palaniswami) is employing various tactics (moving for disqualification of 19 MLAs of TTV Dhinakaran Group of AIADMK MLAs) so as to ensure that if any trust vote is called for, Majority is proved by removing MLAs opposing such trust vote,” it claimed.