Question

under what circumstances can president rule be imposed in a state

Answer 1

In an ordinary situation, a State is governed by an elected Council of Ministers, with the chief minister as its head. But there are occasions, when things go out of hand: A chief minister may step down (or die) and the ruling party may not be able to select anyone to replace him/her; there may be a break up in the ruling coalition or elections may be postponed. It may take a while until normalcy returns. Who will run the State in the meantime? These are some occasions when President’s rule, empowered by Article 356 of the Constitution of India, is invoked. This means that the State would come under the control of the central government. The executive power shifts from the council of ministers to the governor. He may appoint his own administrators (usually retired civil servants) to assist him. The office of the chief minister falls vacant, and the council of ministers and the assembly stand dissolved. Once imposed, President’s rule must be approved by Parliament within a period of two months.