TN floor test: With 122 MLAs on his side, Palanisamy wins vote of confidence

Chennai: With DMK and Congress absent from the Tamil Nadu Assembly, new Chief Minister and Sasikala pick Edappadi Palanisamy on Saturday won the vote of confidence, with 122 AIADMK MLAs voting in his favour.

Earlier, as the Tamil Nadu Assembly resumed functioning after getting adjourned over the uproar on the secret ballot, Speaker P Dhanapal ordered the Assembly Police to evict the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLAs from the house.

"You tore my shirt and insulted me. I am doing my work abiding law," Dhanapal was quoted as saying to the MLAs.

The assembly was then adjourned till 3 p.m. - for the second time in the day.

The Tamil Nadu assembly was earlier adjourned till 1 pm after the DMK gheraoed Dhanapal and DMK MLA Ku Ka Selvam sat on the Speaker's chair in protest. They tore papers and threw the chairs, creating a ruckus in the house.

With the assembly facing its first floor test in 30 years, there had been a debate over the ballot with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League having mixed views about the confidence vote.

DMK's MK Stalin questioned the haste in which the ballot was being done. He also emphasised upon the importance of democratic means in the state.

"Democracy will be fullfilled, only when secret ballot voting is done. Floor test should be done on another day. Why the hurry when the Governor has given 15 days time?" Stalin said.

After the victory of Palanisamy in the confidence vote, O Panneerselvam said,"We tried for a secret ballot, but despite our efforts it was not possible."

"When Amma had expelled the members, she had said that she would never allow them into the party

"As they come out of the Assembly, they won't be able to answer questions here as well as to the people," he added.

Speaking of how a secret ballot may have swayed the result in his favour Panneerselvam said, "Even now, if a secret ballot had been held, people who had voted for EPS would have voted against."

Here are the live updates:

• DMK working president MK Stalin was held after he began a hunger strike at Marina beach.

• After winning the trust vote, Palanisamy visited Jayalalithaa's memorial along with AIADMK ministers and MLAs, and paid tribute.

• MK Stalin will go on a hunger strike at Chennai's Marina Beach against the trust vote, reported ANI.

• War has begun, but the battle has been lost: OPS

• They forcibly evicted DMK members from the house, against democratic values: OPS

• After all 6 divisions of MLAs in Tamil Nadu Assembly vote in favour, CM Palanisamy wins vote of confidence

• CM Palanisamy's vote of confidence begins in the TN AssemblyTamil Nadu Assembly resumes for the second time.

• Congress stages walkout from the TN Assembly

• DMK leader MK Stalin was led away from the Assembly, with unbuttoned shirt. He claimed, his shirt was torn off when the Assembly police forcefully evicted his party MLAs.

• TN Assembly adjourned till 3 pm

• DMK MLAs, once again, broke the microphone of the Speaker after the House resumed
• DMK MLAs to sit on dharna inside the TN Assembly premises
• DMK MLAs have been evicted from the House by Assembly police on orders of Speaker P Dhanapal
• You (DMK MLAs) tore my shirt & insulted me, I am doing my work abiding law: Speaker P Dhanapal
• TN Assembly proceedings resume
• A House official has been taken out of the assembly on a stretcher.
• Following violence in the Assembly, an ambulance has been brought in.
• CM Palanisamy and senior ministers' meeting underway
• DMK is a violent and anti-national party. Whatever she is, VK Sasikala is much better than DMK: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy
• In protest, DMK MLA Ku Ka Selvam sat on Speaker's chair
• Police approach the Assembly premises after massive uproar by DMK
• TN Assembly Special Session has been adjourned till 1 pm
• Violence in Assembly as DMK supporters tear paper, break table and throw microphone demanding secret ballot
• DMK MLA Poongothai Aladi Aruna climbs on bench and demands secret ballot
• DMK MLAs gherao Assembly Speaker Dhanapal, demanding secret ballot
• MLAs should be given time to meet people and know their views: AIADMK MLA R Natarajan
• Indian Union Muslim League too demands secret ballot voting in TN assembly.
• Audio speakers kept in the TN Assembly press room have been unplugged
• Nobody can interfere in my decision on how to vote, says P Dhanapal.
• Congress MLAs too demand secret ballot.
• No live telecast of the TN Assembly session
• Speaker rejects MK Stalin’s request to postpone floor test. Democracy will be fulfilled, only when secret ballot voting is done, says Stalin.
• Everyone knows that MLAs were kept in (Golden Bay resort) Koovathur. People's voice should be heard and then the floor test should be conducted, says Panneerselvam.
• MK Stalin says floor test should be done on another day. Why the hurry when the Governor has given 15 days time?
• Division voting begins in 6 block; 1st block in favour of Palanisamy
• 230 MLAs present in the Assembly; majority mark is now 115 in Assembly
• Speaker Dhanpal calls for order; division vote begins amid continued uproar
• Amid ruckus, Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal says the MLAs will be provided adequate security.
• Chaos in TN Assembly as session begins; DMK supporters join the Panneerselvam group in the Assembly ruckus
• Special Session of TN Assembly begins
• Panneerselvam camp asks for secret ballot; Governor forwards request to Assembly Speaker.
• Congress to vote against Edappadi K Palaniswami government, says Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief Su Thirunavakkarasar.
• Congress MLAs reach Tamil Nadu Assembly for the trust vote.
• The governor should have brought in President’s rule for at least 2-3 months so that normalcy could prevail and the MLAs were free, not under threat, says BV Acharya, special public prosecutor in the Sasikala DA case.
• AIADMK MLAs, staying at Goldern Bay resort, reach Jayalalithaa memorial to pay respects ahead of the trust vote in Assembly.
• Edappadi K Palanisamy and DMK Working President MK Stalin reach Secretariat for floor test.
• Nataraj says he would vote against Palanisamy when the Assembly takes up the trust vote.
• Arun Kumar decides to abstain from voting, says his decision is in sync with public opinion.
• AIADMK Coimbatore North MLA Arun Kumar and Mylapore MLA R Nataraj leave Edapaddi Palanisamy camp.

Scene of chaos in the TN Assembly as DMK supporters are seen throwing a chair.

Stalin also accused the officials of meting out 'prisoner-like' treatment to the dignitaries.

"MLAs are being brought to the Secretariat like prisoners," he said.

The DMK is said to have gheraoed Dhanapal, demanding secret ballot. DMK MLA Ku Ka Selvam sat on the Speaker's chair in protest.

Outside the assembly, the DMK MLAs shouted slogans in support of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, even as the MLAs, who back the newly appointed Chief Minister E Palanisamy, raised slogans against the party.

Despite elaborate security arrangements and Speaker P Dhanapal assuring to provide adequate security to the MLAs, several media persons indulged in arguments with the Police outside the TN assembly, after which the audio speaker kept in Tamil Nadu assembly press room, allocated for accredited reporters and cameramen, was disconnected.

Ahead of the crucial 'floor test', Panneerselvam appealed to AIADMK MLAs to vote against Palanisamy. "MLAs should be given time to hear the views of their constituency people. Time should be given till then," he said, during the assembly session.

From the frenzy over Panneerselvam's rebellion at late J. Jayalalithaa's memorial to the secret ballot of confidence today at the state assembly, the political stalemate in the state looks far from getting resolved as the confusion over the occupant of the chair of power continues.

The party leadership appointed Palanisamy as the new legislative leader, when, following the Supreme Court order, party general secretary V.K. Sasikala stood disqualified to take over as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. But, soon after taking the oath as the chief minister of the state, Palanisamy lost a few MLAs, who went ahead and declared support to Panneerselvam, who now heads the rebel AIADMK.

Update here