For a week now, we have been witnessing efforts by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders to prevent the possibility of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming a government in Delhi. It would be anti-democratic, they argued in their media statements.
The AAP leaders met the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and not satisfied with the response they received, called on the President of India and argued that the BJP should not be invited to form a Government, the Assembly should be dissolved and fresh elections should be held.
They have also given the results of 'sting' operations to accuse BJP leaders of trying to indulge in horse trading.
Meanwhile, Sheila Dixit, the former chief minister of Delhi, has been criticized for having stated that if BJP can form a government, it may be given a chance.
After listening to the statements made by various leaders, my thoughts go back to 1989 when the Congress Party, headed by Rajiv Gandhi, failed to get a majority. Even though the Congress was the largest party, Rajiv Gandhi did not form the Government, but allowed the National Front to form a Government.
V.P. Singh, who led a frontal attack on the Rajiv Gandhi Government and accused it of corruption in the purchase of Bofors guns was returned to the Lok Sabha and formed the Government with outside support of the BJP.
However, he did not envisage that Chaudhary Devi Lal, who had his own ambitions, would create difficulties in running the Government.
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Devi Lal, who was the Deputy Prime Minister in the V.P. Singh Government, marshalled mass demonstrations in Delhi from adjacent areas of Haryana to demonstrate his strength. He also convened a meeting of his supporters in the party at his house. V. P. Singh saw this as a challenge to him and forced him to resign, the alternative being that he would face the sack.
On Independence Day, V. P. Singh, had indicated his support to the Mandal Commission recommendations, which had recommended reservations based on caste.
The Mandal Commission, set up by the Janata Government during its period of office in the late seventies, had submitted its report when Indira Gandhi returned to power.
Based on the census report of 1931, it had recommended 27 percent reservation in government jobs for backward classes. There had already been a reservation of 22 percent jobs for Scheduled Classes and Scheduled tribes.
The recommendations were sent to the State Government for their reactions, and were in cold storage. V.P. Singh announced his decision to implement the recommendation, which sparked off violence in various parts of the country.
The BJP saw this as a move by V.P. Singh to prepare for the next elections. It decided to withdraw its support to the United Front government.
L. K. Advani announced his 'Rath Yatra', the first one in a series which was to take him from Somnath in west India to Ayodha.
He was arrested while the procession was going through Bihar, which was then ruled by the Janata Dal Government headed by Lalu Prasad Yadav.
When Parliament was convened, V. P. Singh made an emotional speech, introduced many bills like the Prasar Bharti Bill, and announced his resignation.
Meanwhile, there was a break in the United Front, and Chandra Shekhar, who had earlier indicated that he deserved to be the Prime Minister instead of V.P. Singh, decided to form a Government with outside support from the Congress.
The number of Members of Parliament with his faction of the Janata Party was only about sixty.
There was a great deal of controversy in the media following the swearing-in of Chandra Shekhar as Prime Minister by President Venkatraman.
I had a personal equation with President R. Venkataraman, ever since he was the Defence Minister in 1982, when I was the spokesman for the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces. Later, he became the Vice President of India, before moving into Rashtrapati Bhavan as President.
He told me that he had studied the Constitutional provision and as President, he had to invite the largest political party to form the Government.
When it refused or failed, he had to call the next largest party and he had invited V. P. Singh. When V. P. Singh resigned, he invited the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Both of them did not take up the offer.
Chandra Shekhar had made a bid to form the Government with outside support from the Congress.
A few months after Chandra Shekhar assumed office as Prime Minister, the Congress accused the Government of having asked spies to monitor the movements of Rajiv Gandhi, Chandra Shekhar resigned, but was asked to continue till the next elections.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during the first phase of elections, while he was campaigning in Tamil Nadu in Sriperumbudur.
When the results were announced, Congress emerged as the largest political party, but short of an absolute majority.
Invited to form a government, the party chose P. V. Narasimha Rao, who had not stood for elections due to his health problems as its nominee for the assignment.
Ever since then, no political party had an absolute majority in the Parliament.
The President of India had followed the principles laid down by R. Venkataraman. We had coalition governments. Even now, we have a government of National Democratic Alliance, led by the BJP, even though it enjoys majority in the Parliament.
Najeeb Jung had invited the Aam Admi Party to form a government after the Assembly elections in Delhi, when it had the support of the Congress. It resigned after a tumultuous rule short of two months.
Will it be unfair, if he invites the BJP to form a Government? In the final analysis the majority is to be tested on the floor of the Assembly.
Let us wait and watch till October 10, the date indicated by the Supreme Court, by which time the Lieutenant Governor has to take a decision.
Mr. I. Ramamohan Rao is a former Principal Information Officer to the Government of India. He can be reached on his e-mail: raoramamohan@hotmail.com.