Supreme Court agrees to hear plea for conducting fresh trust vote in Tamil Nadu assembly

Source:- timesofindia.indiatimes.com

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear plea of former state school education minister and one of the key leaders of O Panneerselvam faction, K Pandiarajan, seeking to set aside the February 18 Tamil Nadu assembly trust vote on Palaniswami government.

Contending the resolution was passed in total violation of the principles of secrecy, free and fair elections, OPS faction contended that a fresh vote of confidence on Edappadi K Palaniswami government be conducted through a secret ballot in the presence of independent and impartial observers appointed by the Supreme Court.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar agreed to examine the issue and sought assistance from Attorney General. The court posted the case for hearing on July 11.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium and lawyer Sunil Fernandes, appearing for the petitioner, argued that keeping in view the peculiar facts and circumstances that led to the floor test, the speaker ought to have resorted to secret ballot in order to protect the purity of democratic process.

In failing to do so, the speaker has committed grave miscarriage of justice besides acting in violation of established principles of democracy and natural justice, the petition said.

“The proceedings were conducted in a highly arbitrary and partisan manner and in utter violation of democratic norms and principles of natural justice forms the basis of his petition,” Pandiarajan said in his petition.