Brazen Politics Behind Kiran Bedi’s Puducherry Lt Governor Post

Given a gag order in Delhi, set free in Puducherry: Kiran Bedi’s appointment smacks of political manoeuvring.

Kiran Bedi set to take charge as Puducherry Lieutenant-Governor. (Graphics: The Quint/Lijumol Joseph)

Three days after Congress’ historic win in Puducherry, a Rashtrapati communique announced Kiran Bedi would assume charge as the Lt Governor (LG) of the Union Territory. Has the Modi government used the appointment as an opportunity to balance the power structure in the only place where Congress won?

1. Aggressive Southern Foray

Amit Shah is learning Tamil. His party cornered 15 percent of the vote share in Kerala and claims to be on the comeback trail in Karnataka. Kiran Bedi’s appointment is an aggressive follow-up to the BJP’s aggressive southern foray. The party is likely to bank on the former top cop’s authoritarian manner of functioning that failed to inspire BJP’s Delhi cadre during their 2015 election campaign.

Kiran Bedi on being appointed LG of Puducherry. (Graphics: The Quint/Lijumol Joseph)

2. The Right Woman for BJP’s Job

Speaking to NDTV right after the announcement, she said her experience in handling policing, municipal corporation and grievance redressal put her in a good position to administer the Union Territory, where “one can do so much more”.

The statement is bound to make the Congress nervous considering its recent run-in with the Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul who was even admonished by the High Court against acting as an “agent of the Centre”.

But unlike a Governor, the LG of a Union Territory enjoys a wider ambit of responsibilities and power. “Unlike the Governor, the LG of a Union Territory like Delhi or Puducherry derives his or her administrative powers from the Centre”, explains constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap.

For instance, an LG can withhold assent to a Bill, a power which even Governors enjoy. But an LG can reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President, who is advised by a Council of Union Ministers.

Subhash Kashyap to <b>The Quint</b>

With gubernatorial appointments becoming increasingly political, administrative challenges resulting from a clash between opposition parties at the state and the Centre are a given in today’s political scenario.

Constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap on how an LG enjoys a wider range of powers than a Governor. (Graphics: The Quint/Lijumol Joseph)

3. Kiran Bedi is, Well, Kiran Bedi

The country’s first woman IPS officer eased into her role as an anti-corruption crusader and emerged as a strong voice for Anna Hazare’s India Against Corruption. Her political naivety, however, stood exposed when she joined active politics after breaking away from the Arvind Kejriwal led-faction that floated the Aam Aadmi Party.

Paradropped by the BJP as its Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi, she left the party red-faced with her inconsistent, incoherent and often misrepresentative responses to tough questions from the media as well as her political opponents.

Addressing the media for the first time after the damning Delhi election result, Kiran Bedi promptly blamed the BJP for her loss, said the Krishna Nagar constituency (held previously by Dr Harsh Vardhan for twenty years) was “in a bad state and if elected it would’ve taken months to clean up the dirt accumulated there”. She even raised questions from the media on whether the BJP was demanding money for tickets by declaring “the party did not ask me for any money to contest”.

JD(U) General Secretary KC Tyagi has been critical of the BJP for picking Bedi for a constitutional post. (Graphics: The Quint/Lijumol Joseph)

Kiran Bedi has a stellar record as a top cop, apocryphally said to have towed Indira Gandhi’s car. It’s this seemingly unbending moral compass that’s keeping political parties from directly attacking her.