[Letter to President Mr R Venkataraman]

Summary

In this letter dated November 21, 1989, M. R. Masani sends the President an advance copy of a forthcoming Statesman column concerning the possibility that the Congress Party might fail to win a clear majority. Masani argues that such an outcome should be interpreted as a popular mandate against Congress rather than as grounds for automatically inviting it to form the government.

Masani advises the President to call first on the leader of the next-largest group and to approach the Congress leader only if that person cannot form a coalition. He also cautions against naming a party leader before that person has been elected through a properly convened meeting of the new Parliament’s members, referring to what he describes as the mistaken practice followed on the previous occasion.

Key points

• Masani forwards President R. Venkataraman an advance copy of a Statesman column.
• The letter addresses the possibility of a hung Parliament after the 1989 election.
• Masani interprets failure by Congress to secure a clear majority as a mandate against the Congress Party.
• He recommends inviting the leader of the next-largest parliamentary group to attempt government formation first.
• He advises inviting the Congress leader only if the other group cannot form a coalition.
• He argues that a party leader should not be called before being elected at a properly convened meeting of the new Parliament’s members.