in the elections, they too would have to rely on the powers conferred on the government by the Emergency and MISA, The zeal reason for Morarji Desai undertaking his indefinite fast is neither the acute scarcity conditions in the state, to tackle which a 'popularly elected' government is needed, nor the scrapping of the Emergency. It was quite simply a well-timed manoeuvre by Morarji to rehabilitate himself in the politics of the state. The manoeuvre was well-timed because Indira Gandhi and her government are just now under severe pressure because of the deteriorating economic situation and the resultant mass unrest in different parts of the country. They were, therefore, most reluctant to force a confrontation with Morarji, especially since his principal demand