QOTD: Sonia miscalculated UP?

DIAL 356 FOR EMERGENCY: Experts debate if it's politically prudent to have Prez rule in UP.

        

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• Is Kalam a pawn in President polls?
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Keywords: Face The Nation, Sonia Gandhi

So, technically it’s possible and constitutionally it is permissible but is it politically prudent?

“Well, that is the point. Whether President’s rule should be imposed is something to be discussed with the UPA allies. And if they decide then the Government has to take a decision. It is not for the Congress to merely stipulate. If we (Congress) wanted to short-circuit the Mulayam government and act arbitrarily in disregard of norms then we would have done it overnight,” a very agitated Singhvi replied.

No midnight misadventure for Left

Now, the Left has said it clearly that they don’t want the ‘midnight misadventure,’ so as to speak, in Uttar Pradesh. The Left does not want any Raj Bhavan or Central Government intervention either.

In the light of these developments when the Governor has sent another fresh report, is there any change in the Left’s stand?

“No, absolutely not. We have pointed out with great pain that our stand is not dictated by our attitude to the Samajwadi Party. It is dictated by a principal position born out of years of experience on how Article 356 is misused. Imposing the President’s rule will only help forces like BJP,” Basu argued.

But with the poll schedule announced, the matter of President’s rule seems settled as far as the Left is concerned.

“Even after this if the Government thinks that they want to go ahead with this idea then they are suffering from political myopia. There is patent impropriety involved in this because whosoever wants to impose the President’s rule then that person has no confidence in the EC as a constitutional authority to hold free and fair elections,” Basu said.

SP-Congress slugfest

With the sword of Article 356 still hanging on UP’s neck, Samajwadi Party, which is at the centre of the storm, says that Congress is committing “political hara-kiri” by wanting to impose President’s rule.

“If Congress wants to commit political hara-kiri it is welcome to do it. We don’t mind it because we have confidence in the people of UP and our party. The Congress wants to bring their kind of administration as they did in Bihar to get their kind of results. But such things are always counter-productive and they will not gain anything,” Siddiqui reasoned.

Meanwhile, Singhvi explained that President’s rule and the poll schedule are like chalk and cheese.