Maharashtra is presenting a perfect example for political imbroglio. The confusion and dithering are reflecting a political quagmire. Who will rule Maharashtra was a million-dollar question? Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari finally recommended the President’s rule in the state as uncertainty over government formation prevails, the single-largest party and the second largest Shiv Sena have failed to stake a claim to form a government in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena and Congress were planning to approach the Supreme Court in case, the President’s rule was imposed in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena’s attempts at cobbling an anti-BJP alliance hit a wall with the Congress, after a day of discussions, stating that it needed to hold more discussions with Sharad Pawar. Congress president Sonia Gandhi sent her top party leaders to Mumbai for discussions on government formation after speaking to Sharad Pawar on the phone. However, Sonia Gandhi is uncomfortable with the idea of having a truck with the Shiv Sena. The Congress both the state and the national leadership is also of the view that any talks for government formation with the Shiv Sena can happen only after Uddhav Thackeray’s party declares complete dissociation with the BJP. This is where the Shiv Sena finds it most scratchy but they had to obey the condition by asking their leader to resign from Modi cabinet. This is also evident from the Shiv Sena’s reported outreach to the RSS for a possible truce with the BJP. Some reports said that the Shiv Sena specifically wanted Union minister Nitin Gadkari to oversee the power-sharing negotiation with the BJP, but none of them came for intervention.
Assembly polls results were announced on October 24. NDA alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena which emerged victorious failed to form the government due to differences over power-sharing. Later, BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party in Maharashtra assembly polls with 105 seats declined to stake the claim. Shiv Sena which bagged 56 seats in the 288-member Assembly expressed its willingness to form the government. However, they failed to do in the stipulated time and did not get additional time from Governor to submit letters of support from the NCP and Congress. The NCP with 54 MLAs has currently a discussion with its alliance partner Congress to support Shiv Sena and to cross halfway mark of 145. But NCP and Congress failed to prove numbers, and Governor was not in mood to give time to any of these parties. Finally, he took on to twitter and opted for Presidential rule in state.
In India, President’s rule is the suspension of state government and imposition of direct central government rule in a state. Under Article 356 of the Constitution of India, in the event that a state government is unable to function according to constitutional provisions, the Central government can take direct control of the state machinery. Subsequently, executive authority is exercised through the centrally appointed governor, who has the authority to appoint other administrators to assist them. The administrators are usually nonpartisan retired civil servants. When a state government is functioning correctly, it is run by an elected Council of Ministers responsible to the state’s legislative assembly (Vidhan Sabha). The council is led by the chief minister, who is the de facto chief executive of the state; the Governor is only a de jure constitutional head. However, during President’s rule, the Council of Ministers is dissolved, vacating the office of Chief Minister. Furthermore, the Vidhan Sabha is either prorogued or dissolved, necessitating a new election. Though the purpose of this Article is to give more powers to central government to preserve the unity and integrity of the nation, it has often been misused by the ruling parties at the centre, who used it as a pretext to dissolve state governments ruled by political opponents. Thus, it is seen by many as a threat to the federal state system. Since the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950, the central government has used this Article several times to dissolve elected state governments by imposing President’s rule. Article 356 has always been the focal point of a wider debate of the federal structure of government in Indian polity. Anyways, Governor need to be unbiased by giving required or similar time to each party to prove its stand.
Sena was pretending to be tough. NCP was sitting on the fence. Congress has declared it will sit in the opposition. Sena+NCP do not have majority. BJP+Sena has majority. BJP+NCP has equal number as BJP+Sena. Sena wanted to form government with NCP and outside support from Congress. Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut tried their best to fall on the laps of Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar, but nothing worked for them. However, big or mighty the elephant is, at times, even a small insect can be an eyesore to it. But as long as it avails the option of exercising restraint and patience. When pushed to the edge, then you will see the elephant’s nascent nature. BJP did not give in to the Shiv Sena’s demand for power tactics, as their demands were not affordable to BJP and also exudes temerity and that too with a major party or the incumbent govt, which has won almost double the number of seats. It looks Shiv Sena has strayed too much from the expected behaviour and a reversal is not so easy. Surprisingly, in such crucial scenario Amit Shah played behind the curtains, Raj Thackeray was dead silent and no one from central government even remotely tried to mitigate. Finally, the President’s rule was imposed and polls might be held later, BJP can romp home without much hiccups or the others three may reached expected majority, what ever had to happen will happen with the time. In nutshell, Shiv Sena succeeded in keeping Devendra out of power, and BJP too made sure that no one forms government in state.
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