Edappadi K Palaniswami set to win trust vote in Tamil Nadu assembly?

Hectic political activities marked the eve of the floor test for the Edappadi K Palaniswami government on Saturday, with the Sasikala camp issuing a whip to all the party MLAs to vote for the government while former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) sought secret ballot.

Palaniswami government is likely to pass the trust vote in the assembly on Saturday if not for any last minute desertion from his camp. He along with 30 cabinet ministers were sworn-in by Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday and was given 15 days time to prove his majority in the House. 

Panneerselvam got a boost on Friday morning when Mylapore MLA and former DGP R Natraj decided to support him. “I was not in favour of the trust vote, I have decided to back Panneerselvam and vote against the government considering the views expressed by my constituency,” he said.

Natraj’s exit has brought down the number of MLAs supporting to Palaniswami camp to 123 MLAs in the House of 234. AIADMK has 134 MLAs in the Assembly. 

On Friday morning, a delegation of OPS camp including former minister K Pandiarajan, C Ponnaiyan and S Semmalai met the Speaker P Dhanapal demanding secret ballot to decide on the confidence motion.   

Though DMK and its ally IUML has decided to vote against the confidence motion, it’s another poll time ally Congress is ambivalent about its decision. After his party MLAs held a meeting, DMK working president MK Stalin announced that his party has decided to vote against the motion. The DMK has 89 MLAs. The IUML which has one MLA.