From Vora to Bhandari: A steady deterioration

LUCKNOW, FEB 23: The Allahabad High Court verdict today quashing Uttar Governor Romesh Bhandari's decision to dismiss the Kalyan Singh Gover...

LUCKNOW, FEB 23: The Allahabad High Court verdict today quashing Uttar Governor Romesh Bhandari’s decision to dismiss the Kalyan Singh Government, might well prove to be his final indictment.

Bhandari’s controversial decisions have been escaping judicial scrutiny. His decision to impose President’s Rule on October 16, 1996 without exploring all possibilities of forming an elected Government, is still pending in Supreme Court (SC) after it was quashed by a full-bench of Allahabad High Court. His decision to impose President’s Rule by suspending the Kalyan government which won the majority in the State Assembly, hours ago on October 21 last year, escaped judicial scrutiny because it was reversed by President K R Narayanan the next day.

“I take honest decisions which are criticised only by the BJP” Bhandari said yesterday, saying he did nothing more than emulate the precedent set by his predecessor, Moti Lal Vora, who dismissed the Mulayam Singh Yadav government on June 3, 1995 after Mayawati withdrewsupport.

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Were circumstances on June 1, 1995 similar to those on February 21 this year when Loktantrik Congress leader Jagdambika Pal pulled out of Kalyan Singh government and staked claim with outside support of SP and BSP? Bhandari wants us to believe so.

Constitutional experts say the only similarity between the two incidents is that in both cases one of the coalition partners pulled out and staked claim. Bhandari chose rules and procedures suiting him and ignored those that did not.

The Governor did not seek legal advice from Advocate General R P Goel because he had been appointed by the Kalyan Singh government. Lawyer R N Trivedi summoned by Bhandari refused to tender advice after he found the Governor had already decided to dismiss the Kalyan Government.

Bhandari says he dismissed the Kalyan Government after being convinced that Pal enjoyed majority support. “I was shown lists of 225 MLAs supporting Pal meaning thereby Kalyan was left with only 190-195 MLAs,” he said.

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Ironically, Bhandarirelied on the letters submitted by Legislature Party leaders of BSP, SP, Loktantrik Congress, BKKP and Congress pledging support to Pal. He ignored letters from at least two LC members pledging support to Kalyan.

Kalyan says he was never asked by the Governor to resign either orally or in writing. “I came to know about the dismissal of my government through the media.”

Recent developments have exposed the double standards of Romesh Bhandari and his mentor, the Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav. Yadav, who disagreed with Vora’s decision to dismiss his government on June 3, 1995 and challenged it in SC, not only hailed Bhandari’s decision to dismiss the Kalyan government but also lent outside support to the new claimant, Jagdambika Pal.