Political Crisis and President’s Rule in an Indian State

Political instability is a recurring phenomena in Indian politics. It coincided with rise and fall of Ministers. Political crises occur when their is incompatibility of interest among political parties in a democratic set up. India has a federal system. The State Governments formed at different periods have fallen victim to leadership crises, crises of opportunism and conflict of interest. The provision of President’s rule in the constitution has helped to manage the crises in the state as and when a political crisis occurs which threatens the life of the government in power. At the same time this provision has been used to contain recalcitrant states. The book has presented a picture about the nature of political instability and the character of crisis management within the framework of the constitution. Article 356 of the constitution has become a victim of critical assessment. The article was included in the constitution after long deliberations to meet a crisis situation which has broken down constitutional machinery of the state. Though it was expected to be used as a last resort, the history of its use speaks otherwise. The observations of the Sarkaria Commission and the implications of the judgement of the Apex Court in Bommai case have made the use of the article somewhat a cautious one. The book has narrated the use and abuse of the article in an All India Context with special reference to Orissa which can be termed as a laboratory for political experiences.