With the latest development, both the ruling Congress-DMK alliance and AIADMK-BJP alliance have 14 MLAs each in the 33-member Assembly.
The Congress government in the Union Territory of Puducherry lost its majority in the legislative Assembly on Tuesday as MLA A John Kumar tendered his resignation to Speaker V P Sivakolunthu.
With the latest development, both the ruling Congress-DMK alliance and AIADMK-BJP alliance have 14 MLAs each in the 33-member House — the Assembly, which includes three nominated MLAs, currently has 28 active MLAs. The Congress has 10 MLAs besides three DMK MLAs and an Independent supporting the ruling coalition. The Opposition comprises three nominated MLAs of the BJP, seven MLAs of NR Congress, and four of AIADMK.
The Opposition has demanded a floor test in the House, charging that the Narayansamy government is already in minority.
Speculations were rife about Kumar quitting the ruling coalition following his recent meetings with BJP leaders in New Delhi.
Kumar was considered close to Chief Minister V Narayanasamy. He had won the 2016 Assembly polls from Nellithope constituency and vacated the seat for Narayanasamy. Kumar, later, won the Kamaraj Nagar byelection in 2019.
John Kumar’s resignation comes a day after former health minister Malladi Krishna Rao, who quit the cabinet earlier, posted his resignation letter on Twitter.
The exits also come a day ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Puducherry to draw up an election strategy, his first visit since to the UT since the party came to power. Elections are due in Puducherry in May.
(With inputs from Janardhan Koushik)
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