India's Congress party-led government imposed federal rule in the politically crucial state of Bihar on Monday, after feuding parties failed to cobble together a majority from an inconclusive state poll. Bihar, one of India's poorest and most lawless states, has been ruled by a key member of the federal coalition, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), since 1990 but the regional party lost its majority in the state assembly in last month's polls.
Its main rival, an alliance that includes the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also fell short of a simple majority required to rule in the 243-seat legislature.
Both groups had sought to woo the Lok Janshakti party, a junior member of the federal coalition government, to boost their numbers in the state legislature, but made no progress after a week of negotiations.
Analysts say the Bihar imbroglio raises the prospect of political instability in New Delhi because the Congress-led coalition's majority in the 545-member parliament could come down if the RJD, with 24 members, pulls out of the government.
The RJD's maverick leader, Lalu Prasad Yadav, kept the Congress on tenterhooks for days after last May's election before he finally decided to join the government.
"The cabinet has approved president's rule in Bihar," Commerce Minister Kamal Nath told reporters.
Bihar Governor Buta Singh recommended federal rule after he was convinced no party could form a stable government in the eastern state, the country's third most populous.
Elections held in three of India's 29 states in February brought mixed results for the Congress party which ousted the Hindu nationalists from power in a national election last year.
The Congress and its allies swept the election in the northern state of Haryana but fared poorly in Bihar.
The vote in the neighbouring state of Jharkhand produced a hung assembly, with the opposition BJP the largest party. But the state governor swore in an ally of the Congress-led federal government, triggering an uproar.
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