State Governors: Time for Reform?
Governors to the various states are appointed by the Indian president, on the advice of the central government. In the event that a poll process does not throw up any party with a clear majority, the state governor is called upon to exercise his judgement on which party has a credible claim to form the government. Increasingly, it is being felt that the action of governors in the recent past may not be able to withstand constitutional propriety. Opinions have thus emerged seeking a reform in the appointment process of governors to ensure the non-partisan functioning of the government. Differences between a central government appointed governor of a state and the elected government in that state have become a common feature. The relationship becomes more tenuous if the state happens to be governed by a political party which does not owe allegiance to the party in power at the centre. The instances of disagreements in the recent past have become frequent and, often times, un...