PUDUCHERRY, Feb 22: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy resigned on Monday after he failed to take a confidence vote in the Assemby.

The Chief Minister moved the motion seeking confidence vote minutes after the Assembly met for a special one-day session for the purpose. In his speech he alleged that the Centre was plotting with Raj Nivas to oust him even as he listed the achievements of his Government. He and his ruling party MLAs later walked out before the motion was put to the vote.

In the last 30 days, five Congress MLAs and one DMK MLA had resigned from the Assembly. N Dhanavelu, a Congress MLA, was disqualified last year. The ruling Congress party subsequently lost majority support in a House of 33 members, including three BJP nominees who have voting right.

On Monday the effective strength of the House was 26 members with seven seats vacant. The ruling party strength was nine Congress, two DMK and one Independent (12). The Opposition is composed of All India NR Congress seven, AIADMK four and BJP nominated three (14).

In the 2016 Assembly elections, the Congress had won 15 seats, and it was supported by DMK which had got three seats and by one Independent (19). The Opposition NR Congress had won seven seats and its alliance partner AIADMK four, and has three BJP nominees (14).

Assembly Speaker VP Sivakozhundhu declared that the Government lost its majority and adjourned the House sine die.

"The Speaker's ruling is incorrect. The BJP Govt at the Centre, NR Congress and the AIADMK have succeeded in dislodging our Govt by using voting power used by 3 nominated members. This is murder of democracy. The people of Puducherry and this country will teach them a lesson," Narayanasamy said.

Lieutenant-Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who took charge on February 16 after Kiran Bedi was removed, had ordered the floor test to be conducted before 5 pm Monday.

In the Assembly, the Chief Minister in his speech levelled allegations against the Centre like plotting with Raj Nivas, not according statehood to the Union Territory and not including the territory in the purview of the Finance Commission, even as he claimed 10.2% growth in the UT and the lowest deficit and excellent work done to control coronavirus epidemic.