Of course, the opposition, particularly the Congress, believes that once it gets an invitation from the President, forming a government will be that much easier. But President K.R. Narayanan has limited options in this regard as he will have to stick to the norms he had himself set while inviting Vajpayee to form a government. Any deviation, particularly in view of the razor-thin margin with which the BJP government was defeated, is bound to raise eyebrows. When Narayanan insisted that Vajpayee produce letters of support from Jayalalitha and her allies before he was invited to form a government, it was not exactly to ensure that he enjoyed majority support -- after all, despite her letter he was still short ofmajority on March 16 last year -- the day the President invited him. Perhaps, Narayanan only wanted to ensure that he was not foisting on the nation another 13-day wonder that the first Vajpayee government was.

In fact, it was the support the BJP ministry obtained subsequently from the Telugu Desam and other groups that helped it to function for 13 months. In the past, too, letters of support have not made any governments secure. Despite Rajiv Gandhi giving such a letter to prop up the Chandra Shekhar ministry, he had little compunction in pulling it down the moment a Haryana constable was sighted near his residence. Similarly, despite Subramanian Swamy giving a solemn letter to Narayanan, he utilised the first available opportunity not to vote for the Vajpayee ministry. Given the hiatus between the precepts and practices of politicians -- after telling the whole world that it will stay neutral, the BSP voted against the motion of confidence the next day -- it is puerile to depend on letters. But havingmade a virtue of letters, the President would be accused of bias if he were to discard the letter approach. After all, it was Narayanan's directive asking Vajpayee to prove his majority that precipitated the political crisis now facing the nation. It shows how strict adherence to the letter of the law, rather than the spirit, can prove costly.