Palaniswami's govt has absolute majority: TN Assembly Speaker

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal on Saturday said Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's government has absolute majority and the voting on its confidence motion was done as per House rules.

Declaring the result of the confidence vote, won by the government with a 122-11 margin, he also charged DMK with stalling the House proceedings.

He said even if DMK and other Opposition parties had participated in the voting, the government would have won the trust vote.

"I categorically say that this government has got absolute majority by securing 122 votes in favour of the motion of confidence...The voting was done as per the House rules," Dhanapal said.

Referring to the ruckus by DMK MLAs prior to their eviction, the Speaker said though he had the thought of forgetting the unsavoury incidents, he was anguished by Leader of Opposition M K Stalin's comment outside the House that he (Dhanapal) was "shedding crocodile tears".

He said he saw the happenings in the Assembly as a "pre-planned drama" enacted by DMK without respecting his office.

"The Speaker was treated badly to the extent possible, I condemn it," Dhanapal said.

Earlier in the day, Dhanapal, who was gheraoed by DMK members, said his shirt was torn.

Later, he adjourned the House sine die after a motion for it was moved by Leader of the House K A Sengottaiyan.