Stormy TN assembly session expected

The start of the session would be marked by heightened activity outside the House as the anti-nuclear activists have given a call to lay a siege to the Fort St George, housing the state secretariat and assembly, tomorrow, prompting police to tighten security.

Election of Deputy Speaker is slated for tomorrow with AIADMK nominee Pollachi Jayaraman set to have a smooth sailing going by the strength of the parties. The post has fallen vacant after incumbent P Dhanapal was elevated as Speaker on October 10.

The acute power shortage, which has resulted in prolonged power cuts across the state, and dengue fever are among issues that would be raised by the opposition led by actor Vijaykant's DMDK, estranged ally of AIADMK.

Days ahead of the session, four MLAs of DMDK in a surprise development had called on Chief Minister Jayalalithaa fuelling speculations of a possible rift in the principal opposition and they would be keenly watched in the House.

The four had maintained they met Jayalalithaa to take up their development works in their constituencies.

However, it has come as an embarrassment to the party, which has 29 members in the assembly, since Vijaykant has of late been highly critical of the state government on various issues.

Vijaykant has dismissed the development saying he was not bothered even if the MLAs deserted the party, saying he believed in the workers and public and vowed to teach a lesson to the AIADMK by defeating it in next Parliament elections.

Activists of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy have called for a siege to the Assembly to press their demand for scrapping the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, against which they have been agitating for more than a year citing safety concerns.

The siege call has been supported by several parties such as PMK, MDMK and MMK who have announced their participation in the protest tomorrow.