Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s Assembly is all set for a floor test today, two days after Edappadi K. Palanisami was sworn in as the state’s 13th chief minister.
A confidence motion will be moved by Mr Palanisami, who took over two days after his party chief V.K. Sasikala was convicted of corruption, ending her bid to become the state’s CM.
In the 234-member House, Mr Palanisami needs the support of 118 MLAs. Barring any last-minute hitches, the new AIADMK government is expected to sail through. He has said 124 of the 134 party MLAs back him.
On the floor test eve, O. Panneerselvam, who was locked in a succession war as acting CM with Ms Sasikala for 11 days, appealed to MLAs to vote against the motion.
Security has been beefed up in several parts of the state, including Coimbatore and Chennai, as WhatsApp messages asking people to gather for a protest in support of Mr Panneerselvam did the rounds.
Opposition DMK working president M.K. Stalin said his party legislators would vote against the Palaniswami government, while the Congress said the party would take a decision based on the “advice” of the party high command. The DMK has 89 MLAs, while the Congress has eight.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission issued a notice to Ms Sasikala to explain her appointment as the party’s interim general secretary. The EC acted on a petition filed by Rajya Sabha MP Dr M. Maitreyan and 11 other MPs who asserted that her appointment was illegal as there was no such post in the party’s constitution.
