Sasikala vs O Panneerselvam: TN's Governor is subverting democracy
Synopsis
The Governors are supposed to follow the rules, not bend them Why is Tamil Nadu's Governor finding it so difficult to reach Chennai? Is the Governor waiting for certain developments before he comes?
Where is C Vidyasagar Rao, Honourable Governor (Addl. charge) of Tamil Nadu? As far as media reports indicate, he is in Mumbai, where he flew after his trip to New Delhi.
While it is hard to say exactly, suspicion among those in Tamil Nadu is beginning to grow that the honourable Governor is simply avoiding Chennai. He seems to be deferring, for now, the need to swear in a Chief Minister.
Thanks to this, Tamil Nadu is currently in political limbo. There is a 'CM-to-be', who has no legal authority, and an 'interim CM' who was the CM and now wants to become the CM again, but he too lacks strong legal (and political) backing.
The swearing-in of Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister has become quite a complicated task indeed. Governor Rao seems to have postponed his trip to Chennai indefinitely. Even the Raj Bhavan has not officially announced anything with regards to his return.
All of these games are, perhaps legitimately, giving rise to accusations of Central interference.
It is widely speculated that the BJP supports OPS and would prefer him to be the CM. Rumours abound that the Governor has been asked to wait until the situation settles. Certainly the longer this plays out, the more beneficial it will be for OPS, who has to consolidate his position.
However, if everyone were following the rules, none of this would happen. Firstly, the Governors are representatives of the Centre in the states and are not supposed to interfere with the working of the state - though that rarely happens. Secondly, the Governor is supposed to swear in whomsoever the ruling party selects.
It is true that Sasikala is not a people's representative, and she has many legal allegations against her. However, it is also true that the AIADMK won the most number of seats in the 2016 elections, and the majority of the AIADMK's MLAs have chosen Sasikala as their leader.
As per the Indian Constitution, it is the duty of the Governor to take the oath of the candidate who has been chosen by the party that has gained the majority of seats in the Assembly.
Right now, the choice is rather easy - despite attempts to make it much more complicated than it is. The Governor should go to Chennai (he can fly there in about 2-4 hours from anywhere in India), call the Assembly, and administrate the oath to whomsoever manages to prove a floor majority.
Democracy does not thrive when the Constitutional heads play games.