The Uttarakhand drama

 THE Congress government in Uttarakhand led by Harish Rawat which was dislodged by the Centre has won the trust vote on the floor of assembly. It is one more setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party. A sordid power play was on in the state for two months. The Congress was accused of horse trading, the BJP of using its clout at the Centre. Though the Supreme Court finally decides on the issue, the Congress has more or less reinstated itself. The Congress tally came up to thirty three including twenty seven of its own. One Congress MLA had defected. To the Congress strength was added two from BSP, one from Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and three Independents. It was the BSP’s support which proved decisive. The whole episode shows that Article 356 should be enforced cautiously and only when a state is in political turmoil. The Supreme Court had taken a decision in the S.R. Bommai judgment that a government’s majority can only be tested on the floor of the state assembly. The Arunachal Pradesh earlier and then the Uttarakhand offensive had gone flat against the judgment. The fate of Himachal Pradesh and Manipur hangs in the balance because of political divisiveness. Nagaland experienced similar tremors of instability not long ago. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often been complimented for his advocacy of cooperative federalism. It gives states considerably more manoeuverability. BJP will be totally misguided if it tries to strengthen its position in states where it is weak and vulnerable by clamping down President’s rule which fouls democratic governance.