CHENNAI: The no-confidence motion moved by DMK leader MK Stalin against Speaker P Dhanapal in the Assembly was defeated last week. While 97 members voted in favour of the motion, 122 voted against it, a visible proof of the K Palaniswami government's majority in the House.
Former DGP and Mylapore MLA R Natraj, who voted against the government during the trust vote on February 18, voted for the government last week. Before allowing Stalin to move the motion, Dhanapal stated that he had been appointed by former chief minister Jayalalithaa, and she had praised the way the House was managed by him. “There are two instances when my happiness reached its zenith. Both the incidents were when Jayalalithaa praised me. There are two instances that saddened me the most. The first one when I read out the obituary reference to my leader and another about the behaviour of DMK members,” Dhanapal said.
After he went to his chamber, Deputy Speaker Pollachi Jayaraman took charge of the house, and put the motion for voice vote and later for division. After the no-confidence motion was defeated and the speaker returned to his chair, deputy leader of the opposition S Duraimurugan said, “We moved the motion knowing that we did not have the numbers. You said Jayalalithaa had praised you for the way you conducted the House. Our wish is that you would get our praise also at the end of the present assembly.”
