A resolution moved by the AIADMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday against Speaker M. Appavu was defeated by 91 votes. With a total of 154 votes polled against the motion and 63 votes in its favour, the resolution moved by the AIADMK failed.
However, the resolution against the speaker got together the expelled AIADMK leaders including former chief minister O. Panneerselvam and former minister K.A. Sengottaiyan who have been at war with the party leadership for the past few weeks.
AIADMK legislators who contested and won in the two-leaves symbol stood for the motion, while three of the AIADMK MLAs including former speaker P. Dhanapal were absent. The BJP legislators including Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, too, were absent as the party is protesting against the TASMAC scam allegedly unearthed by the Enforcement Directorate.
The DMK and its allies including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK), Tamilaga Vazhurimai Katchi, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi voted against the resolution, while Handlooms and Textiles minister R. Gandhi was absent in the assembly.
The resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Appavu was moved by AIADMK’s deputy floor leader R.B. Udhayakumar under the Assembly Rule number 68. A voice vote was called by Deputy Speaker K. Pichandi. As opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami insisted on a division voting method, the votes cast by the members supporting and opposing the resolution were counted by dividing the House into six units. The doors of the house were closed before the division. The resolution was defeated in the House after division voting.
The resolution was moved in January during the assembly session convened to debate the governor’s address. The resolution was taken up on the first day of debate and discussion on the budget. Speaking on the resolution Palaniswami condemned the Speaker saying that his acts were one-sided and that he had failed to hold the decorum of the house. He also said that it took two years for the Speaker to recognise Udhayakumar as the deputy opposition leader of the house, even when he was elected by the AIADMK legislators in 2022. He condemned the Speaker and the DMK for not live-telecasting the proceedings of the house. Stating that the speaker has been preventing the opposition from getting proper replies from the treasury benches, he said, “as the main opposition party, we raise people’s issues and face a lot of intervention from the Speaker himself.”
Supporting Appavu, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said that the opposition moved the resolution in the house to divert the attention from the inner bickering within the party. “I feel happy when ministers tell me that the Speaker deals with the ruling party members in a firm manner,” Stalin said.
Stating that he had once expressed regret for moving a resolution against Palaniswami in 2017, which led to stormy proceedings in the House, Stalin said that “the present resolution has provided an opportunity to know about the proceedings of the Houses in the past and the act of the then Speaker, who failed to respect democracy.”
