Three reasons why Kiran Bedi was removed as Lt Guv of Puducherry

 After five years of struggle, protests, demonstrations and finally a meeting with the President of India, the Congress government in Puducherry finally managed to unseat Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi from her post on Monday. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who led these efforts against Bedi, has repeatedly alleged that Bedi had acted beyond her constitutional powers, worked against the people of Puducherry and declared that her removal will bring a 'new dawn' for the union territory.

And while the Union government's decision may come across as a victory for the Congress at first glance, sources tell TNM that this removal is a strategic decision for the BJP which is focussing enormous efforts in capturing the union territory.

Bedi not a politician

According to multiple sources, one of the main reasons for the removal is that ahead of the assembly elections, and after the polls, the BJP will require a 'politician' in that seat. In the past, when election results have led to neither party gaining a clear majority, the BJP has used the Governor during government formations. This was seen in Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Bihar and even Karnataka to an extent. 

"This is a ploy by the Union government," a Congress MLA tells TNM. "We have been asking them to remove her for years because she was blocking all the schemes we wanted to implement. But if they are doing it now, right before the elections, it shows that they have their own interests and not the public in mind," he adds.

Allies demanded ouster

Opposition against Bedi came not only from the Congress. Even the NR Congress, with whom the BJP is looking to ally with for the upcoming elections, gave the Lieutenant Governor's removal as a prerequisite for alliance talks.

NR Congress is led by former Chief Minister N Ranagaswamy, who was earlier with the Congress. BJP President JP Nadda held talks with Rangaswamy earlier this month and is said to have offered 15 of the 30 seats in the assembly for them to contest from. 

Didn't fulfil her purpose

Sources tell TNM that Kiran Bedi was meant to highlight the failings and gaps in management of the Union Territory by the Congress Chief Minister. But instead, by actually intervening in day-to-day affairs of the government and openly speaking against them in public forums, she had only created public sympathy for Narayanaswamy.

"She has consistently tried to stop all our efforts to carry out public schemes or welfare policies for the benefit of the people. This was being watched by voters," says the Congress MLA.

The Congress though elated over Bedi's removal, don't have time to celebrate just yet. The government is in minority after the resignation of one MLA A John Kumar on Tuesday. He is the fourth Congress MLA to join the BJP after MLA A Namassivayam, second in command to the chief minister, MLA E Theeppaithan and Health minister Malladi Krishna Rao. This means that the Congress has lost its majority in the 30 seat assembly. And while they are confident that they will sail through this term with the help of allies, the BJP's efforts to poach their senior leaders has left them in a flux.