Political stability is critical for good governance!
That is what is the common ground between the Governor’s strategy and the Edapppadi government.
The factions within the ruling AIADMK government in TN and also the other stakeholders, including the people are showing unusual patience in testing the majority of the ruling combine.
As it is, the perceived instability of the current numbers of MLAs, with the Speaker’s disqualification of the 18 AIADMK MLAs under the anti-defection law. The action has been routinely criticised by the political parties and even constitutional and legal experts. But then the current political situation is rather very unusual.
Constitutional principles are very important. But then the ground level realities are often unprecedented. Here is a political party founded or inherited by J.Jayalalitha and shaped in her own image of supreme leader and also with utter disregard for any norms and restraints of a political party in a democracy without any norms like party discipline, party democracy, elected executive or run on democratic lines.
It was a party that didn’t follow any norms of internal party democracy. Where also the party was run like a total autocracy with party members, why even the ministers and seniors prostrating before the supreme leader.
And god forbid the party and the government machinery was run like one unit and also the governance norms were thrown overboard and that led to unprecedented corruption too.
It is an open secret that unaccounted funds for the party flowed like water. When the supreme leader passed away suddenly the party had no one left to take over in any semblance of an orderly succession.
So, the confusion started. O.Pannnerselvam was taking over with the obvious outward approval of the late leader.
But once the leader is no more the party was taken over by the friend of the leader who was utter novice and what she did was there for everyone to see.
She inherited the party machinery by the simple norm of an existing political practice of simple sign by hand! She called back the nominal CM and asked him to hand over the resignation. In the circumstances he had no choice and thus EPS was handed over the regins. So, EPS became the CM.
Very soon, as bad launch would have it, Sasikala the then defacto leader was convicted and she had to go to jail.
So, new complications got in. EPS had one more hitch. That was TTV Dinakaran who was nephew of the jailed leader and who had his own ambitions. Some MLAs, now spotted as 18 MLAs sided with him. So the ruling regime fell short of a majority.
So also the date of proving the majority was also proved a ticklish issue. The Governor also played a role. It is widely suspected and perceived the Centre too was having role in determining the date of a vote confidence.
The Chennai High Court too played a role. There was no decisive role for the Opposition, the DMK, which didn’t show much activism in such a situation. May be the DMK was not sure of playing a role to topple the ruling party.
As we write the Assembly seems unlikely to meet and take the vote of confidence. So, the vast majority of the people are really confused.
There is political instability in the state. The governance norms are utterly neglected. There is strictly no stable administration.
It is an open secret there is vast corruption at all levels. Even some of the incumbent ministers are facing IT raids and even FIRs have been filed. Who would take action in such a fluid situation? None. Even the Centre seems to be not clear about what to do in Tamil Nadu, a state once known for the best administration tradition. All gone now!
It is not going to be simple affairs, to run the state government and deliver a clean government. It would be a totals irony to say that a clean government can be delivered in such a situation.
But then democratic government or governments face similar situations. Why TN alone? What about other states? Corrupt governments, bending laws, favouring the most corrupt and also the most powerful, dynasts and others with connections, from Bihar to UP and many other states need some back approach like introducing Lokpal and L0k Ayukta can only be the starting point.
But the Centre seems to have other ideas. There is not even a full-time Governor for the state. Also, with the absence of a BJP party unit with any strength, the Centre seems to be watching the state political scenario while the deterioration in administration is running non-stop with all the consequences left to everyone’s imagination. Woe befalls the state of Tamil Nadu!
The Dravidian dreams turning a nightmare!