Kiran Bedi has been removed from the post of Puducherry Lieutenant Governor (LG), according to a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday night. Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Governor of Telangana, has been given additional charge of Puducherry until a new LG is appointed. 

"The President has directed that Dr. Kiran Bedi shall cease to hold the office of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry and has appointed Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana, to discharge the functions of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry, in addition to her own duties, with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office, until regular arrangements for the office of Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry are made," the statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

There is speculation on whether this move indicates that the Union govt is displeased with Kiran Bedi, or that she will enter active politics again. According to sources, while the official announcement has been made public, Kiran Bedi has not yet been notified officially. There have been several complaints against Kiran Bedi from the elected Chief Minister and government of Puducherry of interfering in governance issues. 

Speaking on the issue, Puducherry Chief Minister Narayanasamy, who met the President last week, told TV channel Puthiya Thalaimurai, "Congress, VCK and Left parties have continuously been asking the President to recall Bedi due to her activities. We conducted several protests including dharnas and fasts. After all our protests, the Union Government has woken up to the issue. Now people of Puducherry will be happy."

However, Congress sources tell TNM that this move coming ahead of elections is a ploy by the BJP. "BJP is doing this now because people won't vote for them if she remains LG," a Congress source said. Insiders also say that this could have been a strategic move by the BJP to have a politician as LG at a time when there is political turmoil, and also during the time of the impending election.

Kiran Bedi, who was posted as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in 2016, has sparred with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy over the years with the Congress accusing the LG of interfering with government’s affairs and welfare policies. In January, Narayanasamy and members of his Cabinet went on a four-day protest demanding Kiran Bedi’s recall as LG. The recall comes on a day when a Congress MLA Malladi Rao resigned from the assembly. He is the third Congress MLA to resign and has brought the Congress' strength in the assembly to 11. The Puducherry assembly has 30 members.