Tamil Nadu Governor should follow UP precedent: P Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: With the Supreme Court convicting AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikal in a graft case, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today said Tamil Nadu Governor should follow the UP precedent and call for a composite vote in the Assembly if there are two claimants.

In a statement, the former Home and Finance Minister in the previous UPA government said the AIADMK legislators will elect a leader.

"If there is only one claimant, the Governor can swear-in the claimant and ask him to prove his majority. If there are two claimants, the Governor should call a composite vote," he said citing the case of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

In 1998, the Supreme Court ordered a floor test in the UP assembly to determine who between the two claimants -- Jagdambika Pal and Kalyan Singh -- commanded the majority support for chief ministership.

Chidambaram, however, refused to comment on the apex court judgement convicting Sasikala in a 19-year-old disproportionate assets case that also involved late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

"It is a Supreme Court judgement and we are all bound by the judgement," Chidambaram, who hails from Tamil Nadu, said.

Last week, after Sasikala staked claim to form a government in Tamil Nadu, Chidambaram had said Sasikala would be "unacceptable to most people" of the state.

"I think AIADMK should behave... as a responsible political party and follow process which is democratic and acceptable to people of Tamil Nadu. What they have done, what report I get, is unacceptable to most people of Tamil Nadu," Chidambaram had said.

Caretaker Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is leading a revolt against Sasikala, who was elected as legislature party leader over a week ago.