SHILLONG: Irked at the decision of Karnataka Governor to invite BJP to form the Government despite Congress and JD (S) combine having the majority, the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Friday petitioned the President against the move and also organised demonstrations throughout the state against the move.
The memorandum submitted to the president through the Meghalaya Governor said that the constitutional position was unequivocal and once the clear cut majority of two political parties coming together was established, only option before the Governor was to call such a coalition for formation of the Government.
“Once majority numbers are presented like the majority of 117 in case of Karnataka by INC+JD(S), it supersedes everything else, as per the established constitutional norms, past practices and the judgement of the Supreme Court,” the memorandum said.
The party added that in March 2017 General elections to Goa Assembly, Congress won 17 seats in a legislature comprising 40 seats compared to the BJP winning only 12 seats and BJP formed a coalition with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party(MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP) and consequently was invited to form the government, adding in March 2017 in Manipur, Congress Party won 28 seats in the legislature with a total strength of 60, as against BJP winning only 21 seats. Yet, the post-poll coalition of BJP was invited to form the government.
“Recently, in March 2018 in the State of Meghalaya, Congress Party again emerged as single largest party winning 21 seats out of a total of 60 seats in the State legislature.BJP won only two assembly seats. Yet the post poll coalition of BJP+NPP+UDP+PDF+HSPDP was invited to form the government on the argument that they had majority numbers.,” the memorandum said.
The petition said that even former President, K.R.Narayanan had elaborated this principle in his communique dated 12th March,1998 when he invited Atal Bihari Vajpayee to form the government. He stated, “When no party or pre-election alliance of parties is in a clear majority, the Head of State has, in India or elsewhere, given the first opportunity to the leader of the party or combination of parties that has won largest number of seats subject to the Prime Minister so appointed obtaining majority support on the floor of the house within a stipulated time.”
Decision of Karnataka Governor, Vajubhai Vala, who is a former Finance Minister of BJP in Gujarat with RSS links to invite Yeddyurappa to be sworn in as Chief Minister of BJP is a murder of democracy, violation of the constitution, negation of the law and subjugation of every known principles as also judgements of the Supreme Court.
Earlier, the Congress leader and party workers staged dharna in the Congress headquarters here in Shillong and other parts of the state.
MPCC president, Dr Celesetine Lyngdoh said that after Mukul Sangma gave up Ampati seat, the party is not claiming that it is in the single largest party in Meghalaya as Congress as well as NPP now have twenty seats each in the state.
On the other hand, senior Congress leader, Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the party would wait for the outcome of the Ampati elections before disclosing its next plans even as she added that Ampati Bye poll is important for Congress and it needs to retain Ampati.
