Puducherry Chief Minister Hasn't Gone To Work In 3 Days Over Lt Governor War

Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry, N Rangasamy, and ministers from the ruling All India N R Congress skipped work for the third consecutive day, intensifying their protest against Lt Governor Kuniyil Kailashnathan's alleged overreach in administrative matters. The fresh flashpoints include the reshuffling of IAS officers without consulting the Chief Minister and the recent appointment of Puducherry Civil Services officers.

Sources close to Mr Rangasamy told NDTV, "What's the point of coming to office when we can't even implement welfare schemes? Bureaucrats appointed by the Lt Governor aren't supporting the cabinet decisions. We are answerable to the people, not Raj Nivas."

Adding to the friction, the Lt Governor reportedly declined to renew the contracts of several guest lecturers - a move seen as undermining the elected government's authority. The Chief Minister has now sought the Centre's urgent intervention, and his party has called a special session of the Legislative Assembly to press the long-standing demand for full statehood for Puducherry - a key promise of the N R Congress, which alone it believes will give full powers to an elected government.

The Supreme Court had earlier reiterated that "Lt Governors can't act independently but only on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. The power it ruled must lie with the elected Government and the LG can't be an "obstructionist."

Interestingly, even files related to BJP ministers in the coalition cabinet, have allegedly been turned down by the Lt Governor, highlighting the growing discord within the administration.

This power tussle is not new in Puducherry. This happened even during the UPA regime in the centre and its Congress government in the former French colony. However, the tug of war reached a new high during the term of Kiran Bedi as Governor. In 2019, the Madras High Court ruled that the LG cannot run a parallel government and must act in line with democratic principles, reinforcing that secretaries are bound to take instructions from the elected council of ministers.

Raj Nivas sources maintain that the Lt Governor is merely going "by the rule book" and exercising powers legally vested in the post. However, there is no response to the specific allegations by the ruling NR Congress.