DMK, the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu, launched a State-wide campaign against the VK Sasikala-led faction heading the AIADMK government and the way the voting on motion of confidence in the Assembly was conducted last week after evicting DMK MLAs.
In Chennai, day-long demonstrations were organised at multiple locations.
In a Facebook post, MK Stalin, Opposition Leader and Working President of the DMK, who led the demonstration in Tiruchi, said the strong turnout of the public showed their antipathy to the Sasikala-faction taking over with Edappadi K Palaniswami as the Chief Minister.
“The response of the public is encouraging,” Stalin said.
Sasikala, who had taken over as the general secretary of the AIADMK after the death of J Jayalalithaa last December, was elected as the Leader of the Legislature Party earlier this month. The ruling party was split between her and O Panneerselvam, the previous Chief Minister, who also staked his claim to the top post. But she was stopped from taking over as Chief Minister after the Supreme Court found her guilty in the disproportionate assets case.
She is now in jail serving a four-year term. Palaniswami was then sworn in as Chief Minister and proved his majority in the Assembly on Saturday. However, ahead of the floor test, the entire opposition led by the DMK, including the Congress and IUML, backed Panneerselvam who demanded a secret ballot.
The Speaker P Dhanapal did not accede and ordered a head count. But with the DMK members unrelenting, pandemonium prevailed and they were forcibly evicted. Congress and IUML walked out in protest and there was no opposition presence in the House when the voting was conducted. Palaniswami won with 122 votes in favour and 11 against.
The DMK has represented its case to the Governor Vidyasagar Rao and has also approached the High Court to declare the Vote of Confidence “null and void”. The Court has posted the case for Monday.