Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Working President MK Stalin and other party legislators staged a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday to protest against the Speaker’s silence on horse-trading allegations. The Opposition accused a section of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of buying support before the February 18 floor test and sought an explanation from the chief minister and the Speaker.

Chaos started after Speaker P Dhanapal refused to apprise the House about Governor Vidyasagar Rao’s letter on the matter. The governor had on Monday asked Dhanapal and Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan to take “appropriate action” on a memorandum submitted by DMK, asking him to nullify the February 18 floor test. “My petition has been sent to Speaker and chief secretary for action by the governor,” said Stalin. “I request the Speaker and CM [chief minister] to give an explanation.”

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The Speaker said he will only apprise the governor. “I will do that..it is strictly confidential,” he said, according to PTI.

On June 14, Stalin and other DMK lawmakers were detained after they were evicted from the House following protests against the alleged cash-for-vote scam. During the protest, Stalin had pointed to a sting operation carried by a news channel in which AIADMK MLA Saravanan was heard saying that he was offered between Rs 2 crore and Rs 6 crore for his support to Chief Minister E Palaniswami.

In February, after O Panneerselvam had rebelled against VK Sasikala and quit as chief minister and the latter was convicted in a disproportionate assets case, high drama had prevailed in the state. A trust vote had been held for MLAs to choose between the AIADMK factions, and Sasikala’s nominee Palaniswami had won. The DMK had been evicted from the House during the vote, which ensured a easy win for Palaniswami. The state has witnessed much in-fighting after AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa died in December.