EDITOR’S NOTE | How Governor-Chief Minister tussles are playing out across various opposition-ruled States
2 years, 3 months ago

EDITOR’S NOTE | How Governor-Chief Minister tussles are playing out across various opposition-ruled States

The Hindu  

Published : Dec 01, 2022 10:50 IST The Constitution is pretty clear. Article 154 says: “Nothing in this article shall be deemed to transfer to the Governor any functions conferred by any existing law on any other authority.” In other words, the Constitution does not allow the Governor to take upon himself or herself the roles conferred by the people on the elected government of a State. While the Centre has traditionally misused this largely ceremonial office to play power games, it is only after 2014 that one sees a single-minded weaponisation of the Governor’s chair. Gradually, a titular role has morphed into a political one, with various éminence grises playing willing handmaiden to the BJP-ruled Centre, dropping even the fig leaf of non-partisanship. In this issue, our reporters examine Governor-Chief Minister tussles across various States while our experts break down the historical, constitutional, political, and legal angles of the issue.

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History of this topic

Letters to The Editor — August 26, 2024
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Letters to The Editor — August 26, 2024

The Hindu  

Assured pensions The outcome of the general election and the possible big challenge from the Opposition in the Assembly elections ahead appear to have forced the government at the Centre to take the decision to grant assured pension — now known as the ‘Unified Pension Scheme’. Kshirasagara Balaji Rao, Hyderabad Ukraine and Russia Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly has put …

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr | The politics of governors: How Centre tackles states
1 year, 3 months ago

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr | The politics of governors: How Centre tackles states

Deccan Chronicle  

The post of the governor remains a constitutional anomaly. Article 53 vests the executive power of the Union in the President and Article 154 vests the executive power of the state with the governor, and Article 174 says: “There shall be a council of ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President…” Article 163 …

Governor's Post Has Become Political Tool In Hands Of Modi Govt: Telangana Minister KTR
1 year, 11 months ago

Governor's Post Has Become Political Tool In Hands Of Modi Govt: Telangana Minister KTR

ABP News  

Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president KT Rama Rao on Tuesday alleged that the post of Governor has become a political tool in the hands of the BJP-led government at the Centre, calling it a "sad state of affairs". Sad state of affairs where top constitutional posts have become political tools in the hands of Union Govt Have a look at …

Book Launch: ‘Heads Held High: Salvaging State Governors For 21st Century India′ A Digital Book By NAVI Books, Vidhi's Digital-Only Publishing Website
2 years ago

Book Launch: ‘Heads Held High: Salvaging State Governors For 21st Century India′ A Digital Book By NAVI Books, Vidhi's Digital-Only Publishing Website

Live Law  

Date: March 16th, 2023 Time: 6:00 PM Venue: India International Centre, Seminar Hall Nos. ABOUT THE BOOK: Governors routinely find themselves in the middle of political controversies and crises in India. While, at first glance, they may seem to be ceremonial figureheads with limited powers, these same narrow functions transform them overnight into kingmakers for state governments, or overseers who …

Why the governor rejigs matter
2 years, 1 month ago

Why the governor rejigs matter

Hindustan Times  

A set of gubernatorial assignments announced by Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday, appointing six new governors and shuffling seven others, holds important clues. Mr Kataria’s appointment may be seen as the Bharatiya Janata Party ’s first move to overhaul the state unit, which needs to resolve its internal factionalism, but it remains to be seen whether the party decides to implement …

Changing politics, incompatible Governors
2 years, 1 month ago

Changing politics, incompatible Governors

The Hindu  

The Governors are once again becoming public spectacles in many States, as seen in Punjab, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Delhi, and in a few others earlier. Atal Bihari Vajpayee detected this shift early and made a remarkable attempt at coalition building that reflected much sensitivity to the new role that States were called upon to play. …

Governors are being used as BJP workers, says Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge
2 years, 2 months ago

Governors are being used as BJP workers, says Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge

The Hindu  

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of denigrating the office of Governors by using them as karyakartas in non-BJP ruled States, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said it amounted to an assault on democracy. Mr. Kharge’s made the comment in a tweet, days after the Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes, with Governor R.N. “BJP’s deliberate design to denigrate the …

Explained | The office of the Governor: its origins, powers, and controversies
2 years, 6 months ago

Explained | The office of the Governor: its origins, powers, and controversies

The Hindu  

September 21, 2022 11:31 am | Updated January 11, 2023 01:49 pm IST Watch | What are the powers of a Governor and Lieutenant Governor? Article 143 of the draft Constitution states that the Council of Ministers of a State with the Chief Minister as the head should “aid and advise” the Governor in carrying out his functions, “except in …

Governors doing the Centre’s bidding
4 years ago

Governors doing the Centre’s bidding

The Hindu  

Seshan’s reign as Chief Election Commissioner was sought to be cut short by offering him the governorship of an important State. I feel that no departure from the principles of Constitutional Government should be favoured except for reasons of emergency and these discretionary powers must be done away with.” Brajeshwar Prasad from Patna demurred: “I feel that the Governor should …

Governing the Governors
6 years, 8 months ago

Governing the Governors

The Hindu  

“T he State pleads for more powers,” reads the caption of a cartoon in the chapter on federalism in the Class 10 NCERT Social Science textbook. Deshmukh opined: “After all the Governor is essentially a link between provincial autonomy and the President and the Government of India, and that function he can discharge adequately only if he has the authority …

Time to debate Governors’ powers
9 years, 1 month ago

Time to debate Governors’ powers

The Hindu  

By imposing President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh even before a mandatory floor test could establish conclusively that the Congress government of Nabam Tuki had lost its majority, the Central government acted prematurely. Indeed, the Supreme Court in seeking reasons for the decision, and observing that “the matter is too serious”, underscored what President Pranab Mukherjee had said in his new …

Congress accuses Arunachal Governor of ‘destabilising’ State government
9 years, 3 months ago

Congress accuses Arunachal Governor of ‘destabilising’ State government

The Hindu  

As the Congress disrupted the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday over the alleged attempts by Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prashad Rajkhowa to “destabilise” the party’s government in the State, Minister of State and senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju brushed the allegation aside, describing it as the Congress party’s “internal matter.” “The Centre has nothing to do with it,” Mr. Rijiju told …

Governor's office used to destabilize Nabam Tuki govt: Cong
9 years, 3 months ago

Governor's office used to destabilize Nabam Tuki govt: Cong

The Hindu  

Congress on Tuesday launched a fresh offensive against the ruling BJP, charging it of abusing the Governor’s office in Arunachal Pradesh to topple Chief Minister Nabam Tuki’s government. Since Arunachal Pradesh is ruled by the Congress, the party raised a cry in both the Houses of Parliament, seeking Governor Jyoti Prashad Rajkhowa’s dismissal. The Congress leaders trooped into the well, …

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