Article 356
President's Rule as a Bridging Mechanism
Article 356 of the Constitution empowers the President to assume the functions of a state government if satisfied, on the Governor's report or otherwise, that the government of that state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Under the current framework, President's Rule can be imposed for up to six months, extendable to three years with parliamentary approval and Supreme Court concurrence. Under the proposed simultaneous elections framework, President's Rule has been floated as the mechanism to bridge a short unexpired term of a dissolved assembly rather than conducting a quick mid-term election.
- Supreme Court in S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) held that President's Rule is subject to judicial review and that the floor of the assembly is the only place to test majority — effectively limiting arbitrary imposition.
- The 44th Constitutional Amendment (1978) introduced the requirement that both Houses of Parliament must approve imposition beyond an initial period.
- Maximum duration: 3 years in total, requiring fresh parliamentary approval every six months beyond the first.
- Under ONOE, using President's Rule as a gap-filler for short unexpired terms would need to be reconciled with the S.R. Bommai safeguards to avoid arbitrary use.
● Tracked since February 04, 2026 · last seen May 18, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes