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Union Cabinet approves President’s Rule in Puducherry
The Congress government was reduced to a minority after five of its MLAs and one from ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam resigned. The chief minister resigned after failing the floor test
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to impose President’s Rule in Puducherry. The Union territory has been without an elected government after the V Narayanasamy-led Congress government failed to prove its majority in the Puducherry assembly earlier this week.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies did not stake a claim to form the government. Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who has been given additional charge of Puducherry, recommended President’s Rule in the election-bound Union territory.
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Announcing the Cabinet’s decision, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said, “In Puducherry, the chief minister has resigned, and nobody has staked a claim to form the government. Therefore, the lieutenant governor (L-G) has recommended suspending the 14th assembly. Now, our approval will be sent to the President. After his approval, the assembly will stand dissolved.”
The Congress government was reduced to a minority after five of its MLAs and one from ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) resigned. The chief minister resigned after failing the floor test. The Congress-DMK ruling alliance had 12 MLAs, including the Speaker of Puducherry assembly, while the opposition, led by the All Indian NR Congress, had 14 on its side.
While Narayanasamy blamed the former L-G Kiran Bedi for colluding with the opposition to topple his government, the BJP blamed him for misrule and failing to administer the Union territory.
