135 cases of President’s Rule, new party at helm 87 times after it was lifted, Pg 6.

Key Highlights:

• Since Independence, President's Rule has been imposed 135 times in India, starting in 1953.
• In 87 instances, the party in power before the imposition of President's Rule was replaced after its revocation.
• Fresh elections followed the revocation of President's Rule in 69 of these instances.
• Manipur has experienced the highest number of instances of President's Rule at 11, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 10.
• Punjab has witnessed the most changes in state government after the revocation of President's Rule, with 7 instances.

Detailed Insights:

• President's Rule is invoked under Article 356 of the Constitution when a state government is unable to function according to constitutional provisions.
• The imposition of President's Rule in states like Punjab, J&K, and Manipur was often due to militancy and insurgency.
• In Uttar Pradesh, political instability has been the primary reason for the imposition of President's Rule.
• The Janata Party government in 1977 and the Congress government in 1980 both dismissed multiple state governments, leading to changes in power after the revocation of President's Rule.
• Instances of violence and breakdown of law and order, such as the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, have also led to the imposition of President's Rule and subsequent changes in government.
• Kerala was the first state to elect a non-Congress government in 1957, after a period of President's Rule.

Key Concepts Involved:

• President's Rule: The suspension of a state government and direct rule by the central government.
• Article 356: Constitutional provision allowing the President of India to impose President's Rule in a state.
• Defection: The act of a legislator abandoning their party to join another, often leading to political instability.