Formation of the 12th Lok Sabha

Efforts by the Opposition parties to put up an alternative government

failed. Despite an invitation from the President to Congress president
Sonia Gandhi to explore the possibility of forming an alternative
government, the party's plans to form a minority government ran into
rough weather with the Samajwadi Party, Revolutionary Socialist Party
and All India Forward Bloc, calling for a third front or a coalition
alternative.

The move by Jayalalitha and Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh

Yadav to prop up West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu as prime minister
did not find favour with the Communist Party of India-Marxist Politburo.
The Congress too rejected the proposal. Its president Sonia Gandhi met
the President and informed him that her party did not have the requisite
numbers to form a government and would not support a Third Front
alternative.

With no way out of this imbroglio, the President summoned Vajpayee at

2030 hours .

The 12th House was constituted on March 10, 1998 and the
Vajpayee-led coalition government was sworn in nine days later.

Dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha

The 12th Lok Sabha had a life-span of 413 days, the shortest to date. 

The dissolution came in the absence of a viable alternative after the 13-
month-old Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was ousted by one vote
on April 17. This was the fifth time the Lok Sabha was dissolved before
completing its full tenure.

Matters had got precipitated when All India Anna Dravida Munnetra
Kazagham(AIADMK) general secretary J Jayalalitha demanded the
resignation of Defence Minister George Fernandes on the issue
of sacking of navy chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat.

The government, which had time and again been under pressure from its
allies, be it the AIADMK or the Trinamul Congress or the Akalis on various
issues, refused to yield to this demand.  
Jayalalitha met President K R Narayanan on April 14, and informed him of
her party's decision to withdraw support to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee
government. 

The President then asked Prime Minister Vajpayee to seek a vote of

confidence in the Lok Sabha. The BJP-led government could secure 269
votes against the Opposition's 270, which led to its dissolution.

The Election Commission released an official statement

announcing the dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha headed by Atal
Bihari Vajpayee

ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

NIRVACHAN SADAN, ASHOKA ROAD, NEW DELHI – 110001

NO.ECI/PN/05/99

DATED : 28.4.1999

PRESS NOTE

The President of India has dissolved the 12th Lok Sabha on 26th April 1999.
Accordingly, national elections to the Lok Sabha have to be held as per the
Constitutional requirements.

As in the past, the Election Commission of India is holding an all party meeting
with all recognised parties (6 National Parties and 48 State parties) on 3rd May
1999 at 10.00 AM in the Nirvachan Sadan. The meeting will address all
relevant issues the proper resolution of which will assist the conduct of free,
fair, peaceful and transparent elections.

K.R. PRASAD SECRETARY