Oppn boycotts TN governor’s address in assembly, questions rationale behind letting ‘minority govt’ rule

No sooner had TN governor Banwarilal Purohit begun his speech with a vanakkam (greetings) that members of the opposition began shouting slogans.

Opposition parties walked out of the Tamil Nadu assembly during governor Banwarilal Purohit’s inaugural address on Monday, demanding that a floor test be held to ascertain the AIADMK’s right to continue in governance.

DMK working president MK Stalin said the governor has refused to conduct a floor test in the state assembly despite several pleas by the Opposition. (PTI File)

No sooner had Purohit begun his speech with a vanakkam (greetings) that members of the opposition began shouting slogans. Then DMK working president MK Stalin led party legislators in staging a walkout, closely followed by Congress and Indian Union Muslim League members.

Stalin later told mediapersons that the government does not enjoy a majority in the state assembly, and has just 111 MLAs in the house of 234. A political party would ideally need 117 MLAs in the Tamil Nadu assembly to remain in power.

The DMK working president said the governor has refused to intervene in the matter despite several pleas by the Opposition. “How can the governor allow a minority government to run the state?” questioned Stalin, claiming that many more AIADMK MLAs also seemed inclined to oppose the E Palanisamy government.

The governor continued listing out the achievements of the government – including its reported efforts to step up welfare measures – in spite of the disruption. He also announced that late chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s house – the Veda Nilayam – would be converted into a memorial in her honour.

Outside the assembly hall, opposition parties criticised the government’s alleged inaction on major issues concerning residents of the state. A Congress MLA flayed the review meetings being undertaken by Purohit, stating that he was running a parallel administration in Tamil Nadu.