Following is the full text of the press communique issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan dissolving the 11th Lok Sabha yesterday:
Shri Sitaram Kesri, president, All India Congress Committee and leader, Congress Parliamentary Party informed the President through a letter brought by him, on 28.11.1997, that the Congress Working Committee had unanimously decided to withdraw support to the United Front government headed by Shri Inder
Kumar Gujral with immediate effect.
The letter stated that this decision had been reached because the Prime Minister had turned down the Congress request to drop DMK ministers from the Union cabinet, a demand which the Congress had made in view of certain observations in the interim report of the commission of inquiry headed by Justice M C Jain.
Sri Kesris letter concluded by saying that Congress was staking a claim to form the government. It sought a chance to be able to prove its majority on the floor of the house.
Later that evening, Shri Inder Kumar Gujral, Prime Minister of India submitted his resignation and that of his council of ministers, to the President.
The President accepted Shri Gujrals resignation and requested him and his colleagues to continue in office till alternative arrangements are made.
Later, the same evening, representatives of the constituents of the United Front led by Shri N Chandrababu Naidu, convenor, called on the President and gave him a communication which stated inter alia that in the event of any exercise to form an alternative government, none of the constituent parties of the United Front shall extend support to any government led by BJP or any government led by Congress.
Individual letters from the 13 constituents were also annexed to the conveners letter using the same formulation with a further elaboration in the letter from the Tamil Manila Congress.
The UF constituents informed the President that the UF government would not drop the DMK ministers.
The President held consultations with the Speaker of Lok Sabha, and legal and constitutional experts on November 29.
On November 30, the President commenced political consultations on the situation created by the resignation of the UF government and the staking of a claim to form a government by the Congress.
The first to be called for discussions were representatives of the BJP combination, led by A B Vajpayee. They conveyed to the President their view that while the Congress had staked a claim, it had not given any evidence to substantiate that claim. The BJP leaders also maintained that the BJP-led combination was the strongest of the three combinations, though it was not in a majority in the Lok Sabha.
The president held another round of discussions with all the representatives of the uf constituents on 1.12.1997, at which they reiterated their stand on the question of the DMK ministers and non-support to any BJP-led or BJP-supported government or any Congress-led government.
The President met, the same evening, a Congress delegation led by Shri. Sitaram Kesri. The delegation again requested the president to afford a chance to the Congress party to prove its majority on the floor of the house. The President apprised the Congress leaders of the UF constituents firm reiteration of their stand on the DMK ministers. He inquired of the Congress leaders what the numerical basis of their claim could be, given the fact of the UF position.
The president also held separate meetings with the Prime Minister, Shri Chandrababu Naidu, and Shri Sitaram Kesri on 2.12.1997, while continuing his consultations with legal and constitutional experts.
Shri Sitaram Kesri informed the President that while the Congress Working Committee had not retracted from its position on the question of the DMK ministers, it had authorised Shri Kesri to hold negotiations with the UF and apprise the President thereon.
After these negotiations Kesri said he had no breakthrough to report to the President.
The President was also apprised by the Prime Minister and finance minister December 2, 1997, on the steps being taken to contain the impact of these political developments on the stability of the rupee. It was stated that an early presidential decision would have a salutary effect.
The President also kept in view the request made to him by a group of first time members of Parliament from several parties including Congress, BJP and Janata Dal that the 11th Lok Sabha should not be dissolved.
Representatives of the BJP and its allies led by Atal Behari Vajpayee met the President on the evening of December 3 and indicated to him that their efforts to obtain the requisite and valid support of other MPs have not yielded results. They therefore indicated to the President that should the president be inclined to dissolve the 11th Lok Sabha they would not have any objection.
The legal and political consultations held by the President over the five days following the Prime Ministers resignation were aimed at exploring the possibility of a government formed by political combinations that are lawful, viable and enjoy a reasonable prospect of stability.
By the evening of December 3, it had become clear to the President that no political combination of the Lok Sabha was in a position to offer or receive the lawfully valid support of the critical minimum number of MPs required by that combination to secure a majority in the house.
Converging with the presidents own process of deduction, a letter was handed over to him by the Prime Minister on the evening of December 3 which stated inter alia in the prevailing circumstances and in national interest, the council of ministers decided to recommend to the President that he may dissolve the 11th Lok Sabha, so that a fresh mandate could be obtained from the people.
The President took note of the fact that the people of India need a reprieve from political instability and deserve a dispensation in which the government is able to discharge its constitutional duties towards the well-being and betterment of people of India without being deflected from the primary task.
He has borne in mind the paramount importance of national cohesion, political integrity and the need to ascertain democratic will of the people.
The President has by a presidential order under sub-clause (b) of clause (2) of Article 85 of the Constitution dissolved the 11th Lok Sabha.
The President has also directed the Constitution of the new Lok Sabha by the 15th of March, 1998. The official notification in this regard will be published in due course.
The President wishes to thank the legal and constitutional experts, leaders and other eminent persons who have assisted him with their advice and suggestions.
Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. December 4, 1997.
...this decision has been reached because the Prime Minister had turned down the Congress request to drop DMK ministers from the Union cabinet, a demand which the Congress had made in view of certain observations in the interim report of the commission of inquiry headed by Justice Jain...
Extract from the the press releaseissued by Rashtrapati Bhavan dissolving the 11th Lok Sabha yesterday.
