Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay won the floor test in Tamil Nadu legislative assembly on May 13, after he got 144 votes and proved majority comfortably. The majority tally for Vijay got a big boost after rebel AIADMK factions voted for him despite General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s warning.
Small parties including CPI, CPI(M), VCK, IUML, and an expelled AMMK MLA extended support to Vijay and his party. While Vijay already secured the required majority tally with their support, his got more support through rebel AIADMK faction MLAs whom he met on May 12.
Meanwhile, the wait for a chief minister for Kerala is expected to end today, over a week after assembly election results were announced, as Congress may announce its pick for the top job after much discussions and deliberations.
Several Congress’ Kerala leaders, including five former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs (KPCC), United Democratic Front convenor, KPCC disciplinary committee chief and three KPCC working presidents, met Rahul Gandhi yesterday to discuss and pick a chief minister for Kerala.
Out of them, seven backed Congress MP KC Venugopal for the job, while two leaders — K Muralidharan and VM Sudheeran — supported VD Satheesan, and one leader remained neutral. While the party has not yet announced the name, Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph said that ‘white smoke can be expected soon’, in reference to how a Pope is elected in the Vatican.
