Does politics play a part in imposing Presidents rule?
It sure does. In fact, to many observers, it is usually a case more of politics and less of Constitutional crises. To be fair, in many situations such imposition is necessary. Few would have objected to President’s rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir or in Punjab at the height of terrorist activities. Then again, in the case of Bihar, with no party able to muster a majority, Buta Singh really had no choice. The complaint against President’s rule is that the words ‘constitutional crisis’ have often been interpreted to suit the interests of the ruling party at the Centre, especially if the parties in power at the Centre and in the state were different. When then prime minister Indira Gandhi was in power dismissing state governments run by non-Congress parties almost became government policy. The Justice R S Sarkaria Commission, set up to look into Centre-state relations, had recommended that President’s rule be imposed only as a last resort. And if recent years have seen a decline in the o
