The rebel faction of AIADMK led by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has challenged the trust vote held in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, at the Supreme Court.
While addressing the media. Ma Foi K Pandiarajan said, “We have filed the case in the SC challenging the manner in which the confidence motion was adopted.”
According to The New Indian Express, the rebel leaders have raised 26 violations regarding the rules and rights bestowed by the Constitution.
“We have mentioned the failure of the Speaker to take the motion under Rule 286 enabling secret ballot and not ensuring the rights bestowed by Article 32 of Constitution," TNIE quotes him as saying.
According to ToI, the rebel leaders contended that the resolution passed on February 18, was in violation of the principles of secrecy, free and fair elections and voter's freedom of expression.
The petition has further prayed for a fresh vote of confidence on Edappadi Palaniswami but through a secret ballot and in the presence of impartial observers from the Supreme Court.
The rebel camp has further accused the speaker of grave miscarriage of justice.
Tamil Nadu legislative assembly speaker K Dhanpal had refused to allow for a secret ballot despite repeated requests from the rebel camp and the opposition.
In addition to this, DMK MLAs had been evicted from the assembly for unruly behaviour. Following this, in the vote that was held, Edappadi Palaniswami got the backing of 122 MLAs while only 11 MLAs, from the Panneerselvam camp, voted against him.