INDIA ....

The tone of the joint statement was positive, but it also indicated that a quick resolution of outstanding issues may not be possible, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd).

“Depsang, in particular, is tricky because of its strategic value and the vast difference in the LAC perception of the two sides. Hopefully, the success of Pangong Tso can provide an impetus to resolving issues in other areas though we should be patient. Meanwhile, declarations of victory or defeat should be avoided as it can complicate discussions on the ground,” Hooda said.

PLA’S deployments in Depsang have hindered access of Indian soldiers to Patrolling Points (PP) 10, 11, 11-A, 12 and 13, as previously reported by Hindustan Times. The Indian Army’s patrolling activity has also been affected in Gogra and Hot Springs, where rival troops are forward deployed and where skeletal disengagement took place last year, but the gains could not be consolidated. The India-china border standoff began last May and saw both sides deploy 50,000 troops each in the Ladakh theatre along with advanced weaponry.

The Pangong disengagement took place on strategic heights on both banks of the lake, and saw the two armies pull back their frontline troops, tanks, infantry combat vehicles (ICVS) and artillery guns under an agreement reached earlier this month. The disengagement will be phased, coordinated and verified at all friction points. The first round of disengagement at Pangong Tso involved pulling back troops deployed eyeball-toeyeball on the Finger 4 ridgeline at heights of almost 18,000 feet as well as withdrawing soldiers holding positions on the Kailash range on the south bank. On the north bank, PLA retreated to its base east of Finger 8, while the Indian Army moved back to its position near Finger 3. Under the disengagement agreement, neither side will patrol the contested areas between Fingers 4 and 8 until an agreement is reached through future talks. India’s bold moves on the south bank of Pangong Tso last August boosted the army’s bargaining power during military talks and eventually led to an agreement on disengagement. The Indian Army occupied a series of heights to prevent the PLA from grabbing Indian territory on the south bank in a stealthy midnight move on August 29, 2020. The Indian Army followed this up by rushing its frontline tanks and ICVS to strategic heights held by its soldiers. from the All Indian NR Congress, led by former chief minister N Rangasamy, and four from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). It also includes the BJP’S nominated members, who are allowed to vote.

Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who was handed additional charge of Puducherry on Tuesday last week, directed Narayanasamy on Thursday to prove majority by ordering a floor test scheduled for February 22. Lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi was replaced by Soundararajan on Tuesday, hours after a Congress MLA’S resignation.

The resignations of two more MLAS came on a day the ruling alliance’s members met the chief minister to discuss the future course of action. The sitting MLAS will also meet for an hour on Monday. “We have to take a decision on whether to attend the trust vote or submit our resignation to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G),” said a Puducherry Congress leader, asking not to be named.

Lieutenant governor Soundararajan has asked the ruling alliance to prove its majority by 5pm. The voting will take place by a show of hands. Even if all ruling MLAS are present, the Congress-led government will fall short of the simple majority mark, with 12 votes. “Elections are less than two months away so we will work towards the elections where people will give us the majority,” a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity. A senior Puducherry BJP leader said that they may not stake claim to form the government. “In a week, poll dates will be announced so what is the point of running a government for about 60 days?” the BJP leader said. President’s Rule seems imminent in that scenario.

Lakshminarayanan resigned from his post as MLA and quit the Congress, stating that he was disrespected in the party and the Opposition was welcoming him. “The government is not failing because of my resignation. It has already lost its majority,” he told reporters on Sunday.

The DMK’S Venkatesan also submitted his resignation to the Speaker, saying he was dissatisfied with the government. “The BJP has used muscle and money power and threatened the MLAS,” said Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee president AV Subramanian.

After holding consultations with the Congress-led alliance, chief minister Narayanasamy told reporters that he will announce his decision on the floor of the House, when the assembly convenes at 10am on Monday. “We discussed the strategy to be adopted with alliance parties in the legislative assembly. Several suggestions were given by ministers, MLAS, MP and the deputy speaker. Finally, we decided that we will disclose our strategy on the floor of the house when it convenes.”

Political analysts say that the Congress could turn this crisis into an emotive issue. “It’s clear that Narayanasamy won’t be able to win the trust vote so he may use the floor test to highlight his achievements and his victimisation for the ensuing election similar to what VP Singh (former Prime Minister from 1989 to 1990 until he lost the vote of no-confidence) did when the BJP pulled out its support,” said political commentator Raveendran Duraisamy.