Puducherry CM, cabinet members resign after losing confidence vote

The government lost the confidence vote brought due to depleted strength of 11 against opposition's 14 in the House

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and his cabinet colleagues in the union territory resigned on Monday after the government lost the confidence vote sought by him in the face of its depleted strength of 11 against opposition's 14 in the House.

After staging a walkout from the Assembly before the motion seeking confidence vote was put up for voting in the House, Narayanasamy proceeded to the Raj Nivas and submitted his resignation to Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.

The chief minister said the ruling side walked out after the Speaker V Sivakolundhu did not accept its contention that only the elected members have voting rights during the confidence vote, apparently referring to the three nominated BJP members.

"Our view that only the elected members can vote in the House was not accepted by the Speaker. So we walked out of the assembly and met the Lt Governor and gave resignation letter of my cabinet," he said.

Narayanasamy said he was accompanied by his ministers, Congress and DMK MLAs besides the independent legislator who had earlier supported the government.

It was up to the Lt Governor to decide on their resignation, he added.

He, however, did not respond to queries on his next course of action.