Chennai sources have stated that DMK on Sunday had appealed to Tamil Nadu Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao to “nullify” the vote of confidence won by Sasikala loyalist Edappadi K. Palaniswami, alleging it was adopted by contravening the rules of the State Assembly.
The DMK, whose MLAs were en masse evicted from the State Assembly before voting on the confidence motion on Saturday, also announced a State-wide hunger strike on February 22, 2017, protesting what it called “murder of democracy”.
In a representation submitted to Mr. Rao, Mr. Stalin, also the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, urged him to “nullify the entire proceedings” to “protect the spirit of democracy and the Constitution“.
Mr. Palaniswami won the trust vote by a 122-11 margin after the eviction of DMK members and walkout by its allies, amid stormy scenes during which mikes were uprooted, chairs toppled and sheets of papers torn and hurled around and immediately after the eviction of the DMK, Mr. Stalin had met the Governor and urged him to postpone the trust vote.
