PUDUCHERRY: With their ‘honeymoon’ period wearing off as weeks pass by, the façade of cordiality between Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and CM V Narayanasamy is witnessing fissures. It was manifest in the flare-up last week when Bedi accused ministers, MLAs and senior officials of not cooperating with her Swachh Puducherry initiatives. She said if this continued, she would leave the people to fend for themselves.
However, it is not a replay of the Delhi drama—at least not yet. Bedi is not Najeeb Jung, her Delhi counterpart, and Narayanasamy is certainly not Arvind Kejriwal. They host one another, pour out effusive words of praise and never miss an opportunity to show unity. However, this seems to be temporary.
The alleged non-cooperation came after Bedi started holding durbars for public, giving directions to officials and demanding files from various departments. This upset the territorial government, which saw the activism as encroachment in their territory.
Narayanasami asked officers not to bypass ministers or follow instructions given over WhatsApp.
Bedi seems to be desperate to leave a legacy after her appointment as the LG. In fact, she said it in as many words when she claimed to be the first LG who was in the UT not for a job but on a mission mode.
These public upbraiding and comments have not impressed politicians in Puducherry, which is a Congress stronghold. The party leaders disapprove of her ways in the private, but are not yet ready to take her on publicly.