India, July 16 -- Indian politics is no stranger to power struggles, party splits, and mid-term shake-ups. But when this starts affecting elected state governments, constitutional principles - and institutions - are tested. One of the most important cases to ever deal with this was SR Bommai vs. Union of India, 1994. A constitutional firewall against arbitrary dismissal of elected governments, it was a landmark ruling. And yet, the 2022 Maharashtra crisis involving the Shiv Sena split showed how political machinations can strain even the strongest constitutional guardrails.

But first, what was the Bommai case? SR Bommai was the Chief Minister of Karnataka. His party had recently undergone a merger, leading to political instability. A few...