President s Rule was imposed in Puducherry following a recommendation by the Union Cabinet after a Congress-led government lost power in the Union Territory in a vote of confidence. The notification, signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, said the decision was taken after the president received a report from the administrator of the Union Territory of Puducherry on February 22. It said after considering the report and other information received by him, the president was satisfied that a situation had arisen in which the administration of the Union Territory of Puducherry could not carry on in accordance with the provisions of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963).
Two more MLAs of the Congress- DMK alliance in Puducherry resigned on Sunday, delivering yet another jolt to Chief Minister V Narayanasamy as the ruling side s strength further depleted to 11 against opposition s 14 in the 33-member assembly, a day before the trust vote. Beleaguered Narayanasamy, who held a meeting with the remaining MLAs of the Congress and DMK, said the government s strategy would be made known before Monday s floor test, ordered by Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, to prove his majority. The fresh bout of resignations took the tally in the last few days to three and the cumulative since last month to six and further reduced the strength of the Congress-DMK combine in the assembly to 11.