AIADMK’s no-confidence motion against Speaker Appavu defeated in T.N. Assembly

M. Appavu. File
| Photo Credit: A. Shaikmohideen

A resolution moved by the AIADMK seeking to remove M. Appavu from the post of Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly was defeated by 91 votes in the House on Monday (March 17, 2025).

A total of 154 votes were polled against the motion and 63 votes in its favour. 

Significantly, legislators of the camp led by expelled AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam also supported the no-confidence motion moved against Mr. Appavu. Senior AIADMK leader K.A. Sengottaiyan, who is in the news for his reported differences with the party leadership, also voted in favour of the motion. 

Three AIADMK legislators including former Speaker P. Dhanapal were absent.

The DMK and its allies including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Tamilaga Vazhurimai Katchi, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and others rejected the resolution. 

Members of the BJP (Vanathi and Saraswathi were detained by police earlier in the day ahead of a protest) and the PMK were absent from the Assembly when the voting took place.

Poovai Jagan Moorthy, the leader of the Puratchi Bharatham also supported the resolution. 

The resolution against Mr. Appavu was moved by AIADMK Deputy Floor Leader R.B. Udhayakumar under Assembly Rule 68. 

As the resolution sought his removal, Mr. Appavu handed over the responsibility of conducting the proceedings of the debate on his removal to Deputy Speaker K. Pitchandi.

After the debate, in which Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also participated, and Mr. Pitchandi called for a voice vote. But the AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who spoke in detail about his demand for the Speaker’s removal, insisted on division. 

The Deputy Speaker agreed to his demand and called for a division and members supporting and opposing the resolution were counted by dividing the House into six units. The doors of the House were closed before the division. The division also resulted in the defeat of resolution against Mr. Appavu, who assumed the chair after it.

‘Speaker biased’

According to Mr. Palaniswami, Mr. Appavu had become one-sided and failed to uphold the decorum of the House. He alleged even though the DMK had promised to telecast live the proceedings of the House, it had not done it so far and the AIADMK members’ speech was not covered adequately during the telecast. 

“Even though we elected Mr. Udhayakumar as the Deputy leader of the AIADMK in the House in 2022, it took two years for the Speaker to acknowledge the election. As per tradition, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should be given to the main opposition party. But the Congress member, an ally of the DMK, has been made the Chairman,” he said.