Race for TN government: Governor left room for horse-trading to help BJP's proxy, says MA Baby

CHENNAI: Accusing Governor RV Arlekar of disregarding established democratic conventions, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary MA Baby on Saturday said the present political uncertainty and discussions around “horse trading” had arisen because the gubernatorial head had failed to invite the single largest party to form the government.

Addressing a press conference in Madurai, Baby said the Governor ought to have invited the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-politician Vijay, to form the government and prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly.

“We are against horse trading. All this opportunity to discuss horse trading has been created by the Governor. If the acting Governor had invited the leader of the single largest party as per convention, all this discussion would not have arisen,” he said.

He added that the election verdict had produced a “clear picture”, with the electorate not giving a mandate to the opposition alliance while the newly formed TVK had emerged as the single largest party, though short of a majority by 11 seats.

Referring to constitutional conventions and Supreme Court judgments, Baby said either the single largest party or a post-poll alliance commanding a majority should be invited to form the government.

“The Governor did not follow this time-tested democratic convention and practice. He wanted to know how Vijay would secure a majority. With all humility, we would like to say that it is none of the Governor’s business,” he said.

Citing the example of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee heading a 13-day BJP government in the 1990s despite lacking a majority, Baby said constitutional practice required that the strength of a party or coalition be tested only on the floor of the House.

Referring to the SR Bommai case judgment, he said the Supreme Court had made it clear that majority support must be determined in the Assembly and not in Lok Bhavan.

“This well-established principle is being ignored and discarded by Governor Arlekar. CPM was the first to protest against such an unjust move,” he said.

Baby alleged that there were attempts, with support from “Delhi”, to manipulate the mandate and facilitate the formation of an AIADMK-led government backed by the BJP “through the backdoor”.

He said the CPM, CPI and VCK had discussed the situation internally and decided to extend support to TVK in order to prevent what he termed an attempt to subvert the electoral verdict.

“We decided that we would write to the Governor that he should invite the single largest party to form the government and that our MLAs are extending support to the formation of a government by TVK,” he said.

The CPM leader added that the party’s Tamil Nadu leadership would also meet the DMK leadership to explain the circumstances under which the Left parties had decided to support TVK.