In a sudden move that took the Opposition by surprise, the DMK-led coalition government tabled a confidence motion soon after the House began the proceedings, apparently to pre-empt Congress plans for a no-confidence motion.

The motion moved by government whip N Kesavan and seconded by Janata Dal's lone member R Rajaraman was carried by a voice vote after Speaker V M C Shivakumar ordered the watch and ward staff to evict the 13-member Opposition bloc for disrupting the proceedings.

But when Home Minister P Kannan (TMC) wanted to know from the chair the numbers, the Speaker said `all 19 members (of the ruling combine and supporters) voted for the motion.'

The motion was supported by six DMK members, six TMC, two CPI members, one from Janata Dal and an independent, besides threenominated members, in the 33-member House. The Congress has nine members, AIADMK three and the PMK one.

PCC president P Shanmugam had yesterday said the party would move a no-confidence motion as law and order situation in Pondicherry was `very bad' and the two-and-a-half year old Janakiraman ministry had only caused misery to the people.

He cited the Lt Governor Rajni Rai referring to CBI complaints of land and house grabbings in Pondicherry as an example of deterirorating law and order.

Earlier, the entire Opposition led by the Congress, assembled before the Speaker's podium and insisted that the motion for which the Congress had given notice be taken up first and discussion initiated on it.

While the Opposition contended their motion should take precedence over that of the goverment, Janakiraman countered it by citing an instance in 1994 during the Congress regime.

He said when V Vaithilingam was chief minister a similar government motion was taken up first. With the situation going out ofcontrol, the Speaker ordered eviction of the Opposition members.

Even as the Opposition members were being escorted out, some of them were seen throwing papers into the well of the House and raising slogans against the government. The Lt Governor last month ordered a CBI probe after the Chief Minister requested her to do so in view of large scale complaints. A writ petition was also filed by a former AIADMK minister in the Madras high court on the issue alleging involvement of Janakiraman's son.