Tamil Nadu power tussle: MK Stalin-led DMK begins hunger strike against CM Palaniswami's trust vote

Pic courtesy: ANI

Chennai: DMK Working President MK Stalin along with party leaders on Wednesday began their day-long hunger strike protest in Tiruchi against the forcible eviction of party MLAs from Tamil Nadu assembly during the trust vote on February 18. 

Trichy (Tamil Nadu): DMK begins its hunger strike protest over ruckus that took place in Tamil Nadu Assembly. MK Stalin also present pic.twitter.com/PKseoSNmJ5

— ANI (@ANI_news) February 22, 2017

A massive security arrangement has been put in place across Tamil Nadu to prevent any untoward incidents during the protest.

The hunger strike decision was taken by DMK working Stalin after consulting with party MLAs on February 19, a day after the jailed AIADMK chief VK Sasikala's proxy Edapaddi Palaniswami won the trust vote in the Tamil Nadu assembly. 

Yesterday, the DMK wrote to Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretary AMP Jamaludeen for a no-confidence motion against Speaker P Dhanapal.

"During the session on February 18, the Speaker acted with ulterior motives. On that basis, given that there is no confidence in him, we have submitted the letter seeking a No-Confidence Motion against him," Stalin was quoted as saying by News18.

Days before, DMK had appealed Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to 'nullify' the vote of confidence won by Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

Stalin had told media that his party members were allegedly beaten up and forcefully evicted from the house during the trust vote.

AIADMK's Palaniswami won a dramatic floor test on February 18, with the Speaker throwing out opposition DMK members for violence and Congress legislators walking out of the House.

Separately, Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao has sought a detailed report on the happenings in the state Assembly on the day of trust vote on Saturday.

The development came in the backdrop of the ruckus in the House before the voting on the confidence motion moved by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy in which opposition DMK MLAs were evicted en masse and the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League members staged a walk out.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court will today hear the DMK`s plea which claims that the trust vote is unconstitutional.

Earlier, a team of DMK leaders led by Rajya Sabha member Trichy Siva met Governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum seeking to nullify the trust vote saying it was held in contravention of House rules.

Former chief minister and leader of the rival faction in the AIADMK O Panneerselvam also met the Governor and sought rejection of the trust vote. 

In the confidence motion held on Saturday, the Edappadi Palaniswamy cabinet won by 122 votes in favour and 11 against.

Palaniswamy is considered a loyalist of VK Sasikala, a former aide of J Jayalalithaa. Sasikala is now serving a four year jail term in the Bengaluru prison after her conviction in a disproportionate assets case.