The Buta Singh Time Line

November 5, 2004: Buta Singh appointmet as governor of Bihar in placeof NDA-appointed Rama Jois who was sacked (his term was to end in June 2008).largely seen as having a pliant Congressman in Raj Bhawan in view of approachingelections in the state.

February 27, 2005: Polls throw up hung assembly, RJD largest party. Paswan's 29 MLAs hold the key

Mar 6, 2005: Governor Buta Singh recommends President rule.

March 7, 2005: Bihar brought under President's rule for the eighthtime.

May19, 2005: DMs of Siwan and Gopalganj, celebrated for having taken a tough stand against RJD strongmen Shahabuddin and Sadhu Yadav are transferred.Was it in anticipation of fresh polls?

May 22, 2005:

• News of a possible claim to form the government by JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar with the support of break-away LJP leaders and independents.
• It becomes a Congress and Paswan versus Lalu and the Left tussle, with Paswan persuaded by the Congress to settle for a RJD Muslim CM. Jabir Hussain's name does the rounds, but Lalu puts his foot down, says none but Rabri.
• Congress fails to persuade the Left to convince Lalu before Nitish Kumar meets Buta Singh staking claim.
• Late at night, union cabinet recommends dissolution of Bihar Assembly.
  

May23, 2005:

• The President is called up in Moscow late at night by PM and told about Buta Singh's letters of April 27 and May 21 and asked for assent on faxed proclamation to dissolve the Bihar assembly, which he does in the early hours after consulting advisors.
• The home minister, Shivraj Patil, says: "The governor's report was similar to the information available with the centre which was corroborated by some political leaders from the state. One group in the state has been trying to indulge in horse-trading and winning over MLAs belonging to the other political group.Efforts were also being made to fly some MLAs from Jamshedpur to other places. To prevent the situation from worsening and getting further polluted, the Union Cabinet decided to dissolve the House.
• Congress spokesman, Anand Sharma:
  The mandate of the last assembly polls was definitely for secular forces and not for BJP-led NDA. It was not merely the horse-trading but the abduction of MLAs, which has been a characteristic trait of BJP which was a matter of serious concern. In the interest of democracy, a fresh mandate from people in Bihar is the only way out.
• Thirteen dissident LJP members at Ghatshila in Jharkhand claim at a news conference in Patna that they had planned to parade two-thirds of party legislators, required for breaking away, before governor Buta Singh.
• CPM Politbureau: The election result did not provide a mandate to the JD(U)-BJP alliance. Yet, subsequently, efforts were made to buy-up MLAs particularly those belonging to the Lok Janshakti Party, making a mockery of the democratic system. We had stated much earlier that in the event of the non-formation of a government, election should be held at the earliest. The dissolution of the Bihar Assembly has taken place in the background of the failure to form a government after the assembly elections in February 2005.

May24, 2005: The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh (in Ranthambore): "Anatmosphere of horse trading of the worst kind prevailed. We had considerableinformation to substantiate the governor's recommendations"

September 23, 2005: Assembly elections are notified by the ElectionCommission

October7, 2005:  

• In a 'blow against arbitrary action of midnight dissolution', the Supreme Court strikes down the Presidential proclamation dissolving the Bihar Assembly, terming it as "unconstitutional" but declines to revive the House, paving way for the four-phased elections commencing October 18
• Before the judgement, the press had speculated that if the order was judged unconstitutional, the President would quit. He met the PM. Unconfirmed reports suggest he told the PM that one of them should quit. But the Congress sought time till the full judgement—by the end of the month. Next day, the PM broke his silence. 

October 8, 2005:

• The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, says (in Chandigarh): "I do not disown responsibility as Prime Minister. There were specific circumstances on the basis of which we acted."
• UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, says: "I do not think Raj Bhawan is involved in politics"

November 22, 2005: Bihar elections throw up unambiguous results: NDAcomes to power with emphatic majority, Nitish Kumar is sworn in as CM bygovernor Buta Singh on Nov 24.

January 24, 2006: SC delivers its full judgement, indicting Buta Singhand says the cabinet should not have accepted his "report as gospel".