NEW DELHI, Feb 24: The union territory of Puducherry is all set to go under the President’s rule for a brief period.
The Union Cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday recommended imposition of president’s rule in the union territory as no party in Puducherry staked claim for forming a ministry after the Congress-DMK government bowed out of office on February 22.
The union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said at a media conference that the Puducherry Assembly would be dissolved with the permission of the President, “Model Code of Conduct will come into effect in few days and there will be elections,” he added.
Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, who led the Congress government, resigned on Feb. 22 ahead of the confidence vote after his ministry was reduced to a minority following a spate of resignations of his party MLAs and a DMK legislator in recent days.
The Union Territory’s term is expiring in two months and no Opposition party was willing to stake claim.
The President formally accepted Narayanasamy’s resignation along with his Council of Ministers on Tuesday. A communication to this effect from the Ministry of Home Affairs was received and notified by Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar the same day.
(Manas Dasgupta)