Jatti subsequently was
Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry from October 1968 to November 1972. Jatti was appointed
Governor of Orissa in November 1972. On 1 March 1973 the ruling Congress government led by
Nandini Satpathy resigned after it lost its majority in the
legislative assembly. Although the leader of the opposition,
Biju Patnaik, staked his claim to form the government and demonstrated the support of a majority of legislators, Jatti chose to
prorogue the assembly session on the advice of Sathpathy and on 3 March 1973 recommended
President’s rule in the state. Jatti, with the aid of advisors administered the state during the period of President’s Rule which continued until March 1974. He resigned as governor in August 1974 to contest in the
vice presidential election of 1974.
Vice Presidency In the election, Jatti defeated the opposition candidate
N.E. Horo winning 521 votes in the
electoral college against 141 polled by Horo. Jatti was declared elected on 27 August 1974 and sworn in as the
vice president of India on 31 August 1974. Following the death in office of
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on 11 February 1977, Jatti was sworn in as the
acting president of India the same day. Following the defeat of the Indian National Congress in the
general elections of 1977, Jatti asked Indira Gandhi to continue as
caretaker prime minister and, on the recommendation of the
Cabinet, revoked the
Emergency on 21 March 1977. Jatti swore in
Morarji Desai as prime minister on 24 March 1977. In April 1977, the
new government recommended the dismissal of governments and the dissolution of
legislative assemblies in states ruled by the Congress Party. Although Jatti initially hesitated to accept the Cabinet’s recommendation, he agreed to it a day later and dismissed governments in nine states. Jatti was succeeded by
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as
President of India on 25 July 1977 following his unopposed election to the presidency in the
presidential election of 1977. ==Public offices held==