The quicker the sorry political mess in Karnataka is ended, the better it will be for its governance-starved citizens. The state assembly is currently in a state of suspended animation and requires the nod of Parliament before it can be dissolved and the process of fresh elections set in motion. The landmark Supreme Court verdict of 1994 in the S.R. Bommai versus the Union of India case — which had involved, incidentally, a government in Karnataka — made mandatory the approval of both Houses of Parliament before the dissolution of an assembly can take effect. This process of due diligence to guard against hasty Central action is worthy of admiration and requires to be observed in letter and spirit. However, given the possibility of interested groups indulging in political horse-trading, it becomes necessary that Parliament is urgently seized of the matter as soon as it re-convenes for the winter session in the third week of November.

There is no ambiguity that a viable government cannot emerge from the present assembly in the state. All the major players have made their respective representations to Governor Rameshwar Thakur. Both the BJP and the Congress have indicated to him that they wish to have no truck with the Janata DalS. The president of the JDS, H.D. Deve Gowda — not that he had much choice — has gone on record to state that Karnataka should go back to the electorate. This consensus by default should of course mean that obtaining parliamentary assent to the dissolution of the assembly will be a smooth affair. However, we also need to be conscious of the fact that having an assembly in suspended animation is not a happy state of affairs, and could invite the attention of unscrupulous elements seeking to grab power by unfair means. The chamatkar, or magic, that Kalyan Singh had wrought in 1997, by breathing life into the unviable Uttar Pradesh assembly and going on to preside over it by splitting parties and engineering defections, made a mockery of the Constitution and norms of public life. Indian democracy should be spared any repetition of that unedifying experience.

Ever since the political impasse in Karnataka emerged, this newspaper has been unequivocal in urging elections. We can only repeat this recommendation — with the additional proviso that they be held as quickly as possible.