Finally, the delay is blamed on an inauspicious phase. Senior BJP leaders are of the view that the government formation is delayed because of the 8-day Holasthak before Holi which is considered inauspicious. The party which is in a clear majority is leaving nothing to chance since the Congress is out of the reckoning leaving the BJP enough time and space. With a caretaker chief minister in place, the BJP has bought itself time to ensure that loose ends are tied, however, the questions that are doing the rounds are centred around the role of the Governor and his silence when the State is going through a phase of peculiar uncertainty with an unprecedented pause mode in governance.
Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai is known to be a pro-people Governor. A governor who has constantly felt the pulse of the people and has frequently reached out to the underprivileged and those in distress. Against the backdrop of this unnecessary standstill in governance and anxiety in the minds of the people that are leading to speculations of varied kinds, the governor was expected to at least call the known leaders of both the major political groups and bring about clarity.
The deafening silence over formally announcing the next chief minister and the government formation is only leading to speculations and chaos. One is left to wonder if there is genuinely a churn within the BJP or whether the leadership is working in the background to achieve an absolute majority ahead of installing the government by roping in legislators via mergers. If the high command has cleared the name of Chief Minister, why was an announcement not made earlier?
Citing an inauspicious phase is unacceptable on such a serious subject that involves governance of the State. Moreover, it is baffling that the BJP which is known to be driven by opportunism as seen in 2017 is now citing beliefs in calendars and numerology to put its house in order. Let’s not forget the pace at which the party moved ahead despite being in the minority government to push Congress out of contention in the 2017 election.
Ironically, Congress has reacted to the delay in forming a government but has made out a weak case by holding out a veiled and hollow threat of splitting the saffron group which is saddled with not only a comfortable majority but also holds a position where it can dictate terms. The only reasonable argument raised by Congress is the failure of the Governor to take note of this impasse.
Governors are known to exercise their discretion in inviting parties to form governments, and there have been enough controversies on that, but what is significant is the fact the governors are expected to discharge their duties fairly and judiciously by keeping the larger interest of the State in mind. There had to be clarity. The State cannot be waiting for the BJP to react to a Congress press conference and then speak its mind.
