President's Rule imposed in Puducherry, Assembly kept in suspended animation

The Union Cabinet had approved the imposition of emergency on Wednesday.

Days after Congress-led government lost power in Puducherry following a spate of resignations by party MLAs, President's Rule was imposed in the union territory on Thursday. A notification imposing the President's Rule in Puducherry was issued by the Union home ministry on Thursday. The union territory's Assembly has been kept under suspended animation.

V Narayanasamy resigned ahead of a floor test to prove his majority weeks before assembly elections are due in the Union Territory. (Agency File Phot)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was blamed for the fall of the government by former chief minister V Narayanasamy, did not stake claim to form government.

“We will not try and form a government at this stage. With the people’s blessings in the forthcoming elections and PM Modi's leadership, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will form a government with BJP and its alliance partners All India NR Congress and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in May and build a new bright future for the people of Puducherry,” said the BJP state unit president V Saminathan.

The Union Cabinet had approved the imposition of emergency on Wednesday.

“In Puducherry, the Chief Minister has resigned, and nobody has claimed to form the government and therefore, the Lieutenant Governor has recommended suspending the 14th assembly. Now, our approval will be sent to the President. After his approval, the assembly will stand dissolved,” Union minister Prakash Javadekar said, announcing the cabinet decision on Wednesday.

Elections in the union territory are due in three months.