What the Karnataka is witnessing now, being watched by all, in the fractured mandate, is not a healthy sign of democracy. When the mandate is not clear and the single largest party too is falling short of simple majority, the Governors are expected to ask the leaders to prove their majority on the floor of the House and then come for the swearing-in. The Governors should first nominate a pro-tem speaker who convenes the House and administers the oath to the newly-elected members. Then he takes up the confidence vote to prove who enjoys the majority. Those who enjoy the confidence of the House (majority MLAs) will have to be sworn-in as the Chief Minister and his choice of MLAs as the Ministers.

This is what an impartial Raj Bhavan was expected to do when the mandate is fractured and no party gets the simple majority. But, in the case of a single largest party having the simple majority, the Governor is expected to invite the leader of that party, keeping even a post-alliance arrangement aside, despite its majority. Had the BJP in Karnataka won 112 seats, the simple majority, the Governor is justified in inviting the BJP to form the government keeping the Congress-JD(S) post-poll arrangement aside, despite their combined strength is greater than the BJP. But, in this case, the BJP falling short of the simple majority, is invited to form the government turning a blind eye to the rules and practices.

It is not for the first time that Narendra Modi, the man who promised Swacch Politics, had misused the office of the Governor to form BJP governments. He had done this in Manipur, Goa and Meghalaya, where the BJP had formed the government despite the party not having the numbers. He is now doing the same in Karnataka and would do the same in the rest of the States where elections are scheduled this year, if the BJP falls short of the numbers. This is what he had promised – a different politics.