Though the exit polls have predicted a hung Parliament at the Centre, there is no need to waste time over the impending fractured verdict. We have had enough instances like the Indira Gandhi government surviving with the issue-based support from the communists in 1970 and the Narasimha Rao government with outside support in 1991. According to the Indian Constitution, there cannot be more than six months between two successive sessions of Parliament. In this context, the President should act as soon as possible by inviting whoever has the majority to form the government at the Centre. In the interest of the nation, the President should call upon a political group which has not only an absolute majority but also a letter of support from its allies. This way, political stunts such as horse-trading and defections can be kept at bay.
P Senthil Saravana Durai, Hyderabad