President's Rule to be imposed in Meghalaya

The Centre on Wednesday decided to impose President's Rule in Meghalaya, where the Nationalist Congress Party-led government survived a controversial confidence vote in the state assembly on Tuesday by a whisker. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Centre had received a report from Governor R S Moosahary about breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in the state and recommended President's rule.

"After taking note of what happened in the Meghalaya state assembly on Tuesday, the Governor has reported that there is a breakdown of Constitutional machinery and recommended imposition of President's Rule and keeping the assembly in suspended animation," Home Minister P Chidambaram said.

He said the governor's report was accepted by the Cabinet and a suitable recommendation was being sent to President Pratibha Patil. Aided by the Speaker, who invalidated the votes of four rebel members ignoring the Governor's directive and exercised his casting vote to break a tie, the NCP-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government had on Tuesday survived a confidence vote in the assembly.

Speaker B M Lanong suspended five Members of Legislative Assembly, who withdrew support to the government, under the Anti-Defection Law, ignoring the governor's directive that he maintain status quo on the voting rights of members and cast his vote, when there was a tie in the 60-member House during division.