Puducherry: Congress' Narayanasamy resigns as CM after losing majority
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has resigned from the top post of the Union Territory today after failing to prove that his government enjoys the majority in the Assembly. Ahead of the crucial floor test, he accused the former Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi of bringing down the Congress government. "We have submitted resignation letters to the L-G," Narayanasamy reportedly said. Here are more details.
"What is happening in Puducherry now is political prostitution. But the truth will prevail," Narayanasamy had said in his speech ahead of the floor test, accusing the Opposition of poaching and derailing the country's democratic setup. "MLAs should stay loyal to the party. MLAs who have resigned will not be able to face the people as people will call them opportunists," he had stated.
Today's trust vote debate came hot on the heels of two more resignations - Congress party's K Lakshminarayanan and partner party DMK's K Venkatesan - both of whom put in their papers on Sunday. Lakshminarayanan, a four-time Congress MLA, said he was upset for not getting recognition in the party, adding the rival NR Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had approached him.
The ongoing crisis for the Congress government had begun after four of its members resigned - two in January and the others last week. The newly-appointed Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan had called the ex-Chief Minister on Thursday ordering him to take a floor test. She took charge as the L-G of the Union Territory following the previous L-G Kiran Bedi's sudden removal.
Now that the ruling government has lost its majority, the following scenarios are being seen as likely in Puducherry: 1) The L-G may ask the Opposition parties to form the new government, or 2) The L-G may order President's rule in the UT just ahead of the polls. To note, the 2021 Puducherry Assembly elections are due to be held by May.
