Chennai: Former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and his supporters called on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Sunday and urged him not to recognise the TN Assembly resolution declaring Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami as having won the vote of confidence with the backing of 122 MLAs.
Former state minister K. Pandiarajan, who was part of the Panneerselvam delegation, informed the media that they had requested the Governor to fix a new date for the trust vote again. “We requested the Governor not to recognise Saturday’s Assembly resolution and announce fresh date for taking up the vote of confidence,” he said.
They had also briefed him about the violence during the vote of confidence and stated that the voting was taken up after 100 members were “unconstitutionally and forcibly” evicted from the Assembly. “We submitted documentary proof. The Governor gave a patient hearing. We hope he would take steps to prevent the murder of democracy,” Mr. Pandiarajan added.
Pointing out that much of the unwarranted violence and unpleasantness in the Assembly could have been averted had the Assembly Speaker conceded to their request for secret ballot, he said Mr. Panneerselvam had also demanded that the vote of confidence be taken up after five days. “But the Speaker refused. The MLAs will understand the pulse of the people only if they visit their respective constituencies,” he added.
Claiming that justice would prevail, Mr. Pandiarajan said “Dharma Yudham has begun. Now, the action will shift to the constituencies where the people will strongly convey their feelings to the legislators who had voted for Mr. Edappadi K. Palaniswami.”
Mr. Pannerselvam was accompanied by former ministers Natham Viswanathan, K. P. Munusamy, S. Semmalai, former Assembly Speaker P. H. Pandian and Rajya Sabha MP V. Maitreyan among others.
Later, visiting his constituency Avadi where he was accorded a rousing reception, Mr. Pandiarajan said the people would soon get good news on late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary. However, he added that said no one wanted byelections to be thrust on them.
