Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and her party have egg on their faces once again, thanks to the latest debacle in Meghalaya. They went all out to grab the State Government by hook or by crook. But they fell flat on their faces, notwithstanding the State Governor, S.S. Sidhu's questionable efforts to help install a Congress Government in the State. Theoretically, the Governor was justified in inviting the leader of the single largest party to form the Government in preference to the post-poll Meghalaya Progressive Alliance. But he went wholly wrong in pragmatically refusing to recognize that the ball game had changed once the MPA had paraded 31 MLAs before him. True, the Supreme Court has ruled that majorities in the States have to be proved on the floor of their respective Houses. But he had no business to ignore the ground reality and not only invite the Congress to form a Government but unconscionably give its leader as many as ten days to somehow muster a majority

The big question now is: will the MPA be able to give a stable Government to Meghalaya under Donkupar Roy. The erstwhile Congress Chief Minister, D D Lapang, does not think so and gives it no more than three months. But he is counting without Purno Sangma and his vast experience both at the Centre and in the State. Remember he was once the State's CM and thereafter a Union Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker. He can be relied upon to ensure both stability and longevity for the MPA Ministry, based on a clear formula of power sharing: the NCP and UDP, the main constituents of the MPA, have agreed to share the post of the Chief Minister for two-and-a half years each. A power-sharing agreement is nothing new for Meghalaya. Two Meghalaya stalwarts, BB Lyngdoh and Capt. Sangma successfully shared the top post between 1979 and 1983. Significantly, Roy has asserted: "The formula may have failed in UP. But it will not fail here. People from the hills honour their commitments!"

Karnataka poll in May?

Even as Congress President Sonia Gandhi has handpicked SM Krishna, till last week the Governor of Maharashtra, to head its PCC in Karnataka and galvanise the party for the ensuing Assembly polls, the Election Commission is yet to make up its mind whether it can do so by May-end. This uncertainty follows apprehension of the Congress and other parties that if the revision of rolls is hurried through in re-drawn constituencies by invoking Rule 24 of the Registration of Electoral Rules, 1960 (special provision for preparation of rolls on re-delimitation of constituencies) there is a possibility of bringing out a defective roll which will not be conducive for free and fair elections. However, legal experts are unanimous that the EC has a constitutional obligation to conduct the polls in Karnataka before the expiry of President's rule i.e on May 28.

Elections, they say, cannot be deferred merely on grounds of possible defects in electoral rolls and add that there is no basis for the parties' apprehension as revision of rolls is an ongoing exercise. The Commission has already set into motion the poll machinery and delimitation of Assembly constituencies in all districts is expected to be completed around March 20. And revised rolls will be published thereafter. Of interest in this context is an interesting instance dug up by the experts wherein elections were held in Assam as per the 1979 electoral rolls before the expiry of President's rule even though revision of rolls could not be completed. The Election Commission was then clear on one basic point: holding elections was of paramount importance and Constitutional obligation. No questions were then asked nor a controversy raised. Times have surely changed.

Joint anti-Maoist operation

Desperately-needed cooperation between the States of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra has yielded promising results in the biggest security threat that India faces, combatting the Naxals along the north-south corridor. Seventeen Maoists, including seven women cadres, were killed in two separate encounters with the police in Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh, close to the Andhra border on Tuesday last. Most of those liquidated hailed from Andhra Pradesh. Some 700 police personnel from both of the States, including 250 to 350 Greyhound Commandos from Andhra Pradesh, took part in the four-hour encounter with 80 to 90 Maoists. Another 1,000-strong team of Andhra, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh police successfully stormed and flushed out rebels from the dense forest region of Abujhmart in Bastar, liberating the hilly region from Maoist control after a long while.

Meanwhile, the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by Congress leader Veerappa Moily, has made some thought-provoking recommendations about tackling Naxalism in its report on "Capacity Building for Conflict Resolution" presented to the Prime Minister. The answer to Naxalism, it asserts, lies in development, not in Salwa Judum, the people's resistance against Naxals in Chhattisgarh. It has advocated an judicious mix of development initiatives, land reforms and well-planned counter-insurgency operations in Naxal-infected areas like Chhattisgarh. Significantly, this is the first time that a Government body at the Centre has expressed reservations about the people's resistance movement, which won praise even from the Prime Minister some time back. Local resistance groups called Salwa Judum were started initially in two tribal development blocks in Bastar. These now extend to eleven blocks in Chhattisgarh.

Goa's damage control

Thanks to a nationwide outcry against the horrendous murder of British teenager Scarlett Keeling and the Centre's intervention at the Prime Minister's level, the Goa Government has launched a much-needed damage-control exercise. A midnight curfew has been imposed on all bars and beach shacks, together with a crackdown on drug peddlers. Over 40 people were arrested in an overnight raid on Sunday. Additional teams of officers have been posted along its popular beaches. Anyone loitering after beach shacks have been closed will be questioned and even searched. At least 126 foreign nationals have "died" in Goa of whom 40 were British. The State's Chief Minister has assured the Prime Minister that the State is still "the safest destination". IGP Krishan Kumar has promised "ruthless" action to clean up the holiday hotspot. But will they be able to revive the State's good name pitted as they are against powerful drug cartels and other mafia. Scarlett's mother, Fiona, still thinks the real issue is "corruption in the police."