Puducherry put under President's rule days after Narayanasamy govt's fall

Days after Chief Minister V Narayanasamy failed to prove his majority in the assembly, Puducherry has been placed under President’s rule. Neither the BJP nor any of its allies staked claim to form a government in the Union Territory, which will go to polls in three months’ time.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (February 24) had okayed the Home Ministry’s proposal to dissolve the Puducherry Assembly and impose President’s rule. A few days back, the Congress-led government had lost power during a trust vote on Monday (February 22) following a string of resignations from its own and even DMK MLAs.

Also read: Union Cabinet approves President’s rule in Puducherry

The model code of conduct will be implemented as soon as the Election Commission announces the dates for elections in Puducherry and four other states — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam.

Following a string of resignations, the ruling alliance was left with only 12 MLAs in the 33-member (30 elected and three nominated) house. The effective strength of the assembly was reduced to 26 after six MLAs resigned and one from the Congress was disqualified.

At the time of the trust vote, the Congress had nine MLAs, its ally DMK had two, and the government had the support of one Independent; the opposition All India NR Congress and its allies had 14 members (seven from AINR Congress, four AIADMK and three nominated MLAs of BJP from the Centre).

Also read: Rivalry within Congress aided BJP ploy to topple Puducherry govt

The government was at loggerheads with the former lieutenant governor of the Union Territory Kiran Bedi after she nominated three members of the BJP to the assembly. The government had gone to court saying the nominations were done with consultations with it, but the Supreme Court held that the governor does not have to hold such consultations to nominate members.