A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a CBI investigation into alleged horse-trading and corruption linked to the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The plea also demands the imposition of President’s Rule in the state until the investigation is completed.
The petition was filed by Chennai resident KK Ramesh, who has named the Union of India, the CBI and the Tamil Nadu government as parties in the case.
Allegations Against Government Formation
According to the petition, the TVK emerged as the single largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections but did not initially have the numbers required to form the government.
The plea stated that TVK secured 108 seats in the Assembly elections on May 4. Following the results, the Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and IUML announced support for the party led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.
Vijay was sworn in as Chief Minister on May 10 and later proved his majority on the floor of the Assembly.
Row Over Majority Vote
The dispute centres around the majority test conducted after the government formation.
According to the petition, 25 AIADMK MLAs supported the TVK during the floor test, taking the alliance tally to 144 seats in the Assembly.
The petitioner has alleged that support from MLAs was secured through horse-trading after the elections and has sought a CBI investigation into the matter.
Congress To Join Tamil Nadu Cabinet After 59 Years
Amid the political controversy, two Congress MLAs are set to join the Tamil Nadu cabinet on Thursday.
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Congress legislators Rajesh Kumar and P. Vishwanathan will take oath as ministers in the state government. Their induction will mark the Congress party’s return to the Tamil Nadu cabinet after 59 years.
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