Why was Governor summoned by PM to Delhi?

News pulse, Politics | admin | October 7, 2011 at 4:13 am

The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has summoned the Governor ESL Narasimhan to Delhi for urgent consultations. The Governor will be leaving for the capital in the evening and might have consultations with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister Chidambaram at the earliest convenient time for them. The visit of the Governor in the backdrop of speculations about possible President’s rule in the state has attained importance and has become a hot topic for discussion in the political circles.

It is learnt that the Governor has already prepared a detailed report about his observations on the state of affairs in the Telangana region and is likely to submit it to the Prime Minister and other central leaders. President’s rule could be imposed in any state under article 356 of the constitution. But the article was widely misused by the ruling parties in the past, to dismiss opposition governments.

In 1989 when the government led by S R Bommai was dismissed and President’s rule was imposed in Karnataka, the Chief Minister appealed to the Supreme Court which gave strict guidelines on the use of the Article 356. After that misuse of the constitution has rapidly come down. After severe criticisms the government has appointed Sarkaria Commission to dwell on the article 356 of the constitution. The Sarkaria Comission has said that the article should be used “very sparingly, in extreme cases, as a measure of last resort, when all the other alternatives fail to prevent or rectify a breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state”.

Under this article, a state legislature could either be dissolved or kept in suspended animation when there is constitutional breakdown. President or in practical terms the union government takes over administration of the state. The governor who is the representative of the President is given advisers, to run the administration. The constitution also firmly asserts that President’s rule could not be imposed for political reasons.

Now the present discussion is if such a situation is prevailing in the state where the constitutional machinery has totally broken down. Ever since the Sakala Janula Samme was launched, there is practically no administration in the state. If some one goes to the district collectorate or the state secretariat for redressal of a problem, there is no one to attend to it. There is no transport worth the name, despite the meager alternative arrangements made by the government. While the government servants are on strike, the private employees are finding it impossible to commute to the offices. Educational institutions are closed. Cuts in power supplies are affecting all sectors including agriculture and industries.

Can these conditions be termed as breakdown of constitutional machinery?

Jandhyala Ravi Sankar, noted lawyer and adviser to the Speaker of the state legislature says the constitution has not broken down. He says the government is running fine and the Chief Minister has been attending to all the needs of the people. But every one knows that the Speaker Nadendla Manohar has been sitting on the resignations of over 100 MLAs of all parties without accepting them. If he accepts them, the government would fall into a minority and would create a situation where President’s rule becomes inevitable. TDP rebel MLA Nagam Janardana Reddy has bolted himself in the Deputy Speaker’s chambers demanding acceptance of his resignation. Police some how gained entry into the chambers and arrested him. Even then his resignation was not accepted. This way the Government is being offered a temporary support by the Speaker from falling down. But how long can this situation continue?

Now in this backdrop, every one is looking at New Delhi for the outcome of the discussions of the Government with the Prime Minister.

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