In a First, Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Leaves Official Chair, Sits with Ministers in Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly witnessed an unusual scene on Thursday when Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay left his designated chair and seated himself on the front row between two ministers. The move, which took place during the afternoon session, marked a departure from the convention followed in the House for decades.
Vijay, who was occupying the Chief Minister's seat on the right of Speaker J C D Prabhakar, rose from the chair and walked to the front row to sit between ministers K A Sengottaiyan, who is also the Leader of the House, and Aadhav Arjuna. The change in position lasted for a short while before he returned to his official seat, according to sources familiar with the proceedings.
Under the traditional seating arrangement in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister occupies a separate and spacious chair close to the Speaker's podium. This chair is placed at a slight elevation, signifying the authority and distinct responsibility of the office. The council of ministers is seated in the front row in a fixed order of seniority. The Leader of the Opposition is seated directly opposite the Chief Minister, at the head of the opposition benches. The leaders of legislature parties sit in the row facing the treasury benches, with their seating determined by the numerical strength of their parties in the 234-member House. Members of each party sit behind their respective leaders.
The seating protocol in the Legislative Assembly is strictly followed. The Chief Minister's chair is reserved exclusively for the head of the government, and no other member is permitted to occupy it. Similarly, the seats in the front row are allocated to ministers based on their portfolios and seniority. Any deviation from this arrangement is considered a breach of convention.
A source familiar with legislative protocol said that in the past, no Chief Minister had sat in a seat meant for ministers. While ministers and legislators occasionally shift positions for brief conversations, this is believed to be the first instance of a Chief Minister moving from the official chair to the ministers' row. The source added that the action had no precedent in the history of the Assembly. The reason for the move was not immediately clear, and no official explanation was provided during the session.
Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin raised a separate issue concerning the absence of department secretaries from the House during important discussions. He said, "The Speaker mentioned that the then chief minister spoke about the Karur (stampede) incident during the previous DMK regime. Then our leader and CM (M K Stalin) was present in the House and so were the chief secretary and department secretaries. Now, both the chief minister and department secretaries are not present in the House."
Minister Aadhav Arjuna responded by saying that the secretaries were not absent. He explained that they were present in an adjoining room, referred to as a "war room," and were taking notes from the members' speeches.
The Speaker, J C D Prabhakar, agreed with the Leader of the Opposition's observation and assured the House that senior officials would be asked to be present during Assembly sessions going forward.
As for the Chief Minister's movements, Vijay had attended certain government functions earlier in the day and arrived at the Legislative Assembly later for the session. The seating change occurred after he took his place in the House. The Assembly continued with its scheduled business after the incident. The unusual move did not become a subject of formal discussion or objection during the session. The session proceeded without further incident after the seating change.
