MAHARASHTRA: MISUSE OF POWER
By forming government in Maharashtra headed by Devendra Fadnavis and expelled Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar as his deputy, the BJP has certainly undermined both constitutional authorities — the offices of the President and the governor —to achieve political goal. The governor’s action taken so hurriedly at the behest of his political masters at the Centre has certainly added another dark chapter in the Constitutional history of India. It is not for the first time, but for the last many years, with the way BJP has been misusing its powers by making a mockery of people, the Constitution and democracy alike. SK Khosla
II
The unfortunate Maharashtra incident shows character of our leaders. This shows how selfish have they become. Can we believe they are in politics to serve the nation? Present day politicians are totally unfit to lead the country, and sooner we begin to reject such leaders, the better off we will be. Another lesson to
be learnt from Maharashtra is to ban post-alliances as soon as possible. In split verdicts, instead leaving it to elected leaders to form the government by unholy alliances and horse trading, the Election Commission (EC) should hold elections again. Dr Parminder Singh Khurana, Khanna
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Politics has touched a new low in Maharashtra, with all parties trading favours, candidates and even bending constitutional traditions just to seize power. The BJP and the Shiv Sena fought the election together as did the NCP and the Congress. No party had enough seats to form a government on its own. The Shiv Sena teamed up with the NCP and the Congress in a bid to form government, but before it could happen, early morning on Sunday, the President’s rule was revoked in the state, and the saffron party government was sworn in, with support from the NCP rebels. The parties that people voted for on the basis of their agendas are now a case of scrambled eggs. All party, ideological agendas have evaporated. The only goal is to seize power. Rajendra Aneja