Number game is what is democracy; Gentleman Governor you can’t act in haste

Democracy is all about the game of numbers, especially in the first-past-post system of election. Whoever wins one vote more than the rival will get elected. The system of proportional representationby single transferable vote has been thought of years ago, but could not be introduced in Indian legislatures.

Perhaps our MPs and MLAs may be behaving rather oddly and sometimes transcending realms of common sense, but there is no means other than sticking on with the number game. The same person or persons may support a leader some time and the same person or persons may turn against him and after a little while the same person or persons may embrace the same leader.

That is what is being seen in Karnataka where BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has been the on-again, off-again and repeatedly on-again leader for about 16 MLAs, five of whom are independents. They did not support Yeddyurappa for some time, when the Speaker disqualified them, and now after quite some time during which Yeddyurappa had a good run of his sort of governance, the Supreme Court has nullified the disqualification.

By this time, Yeddyurappa has got back the allegiance of a majority of these people who had denounced him earlier. Morality of the whole issue apart, this is the form of number game that is ruling the roost in Indian democracy.

But Governor H.R.Bharadwaj has a different dimension of dealing with the people concerned. He thinks he can dismiss the government. But gentleman, you can only call a session of the Assembly and ask Yeddyurappa to prove his majority. There may be arguments pro and con, but the Gentleman Governor has no choice.

It seems the Union Government has seen the reality in its true perspective and may not act on the report of the Governor.