From Tamil Nadu to West Bengal: How governor RN Ravi’s transfer impacts two poll-bound states | India News

New Delhi: Hall BJP Converting Raj Bhavan into “War Room”? Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress thinks so, especially after the Centre’s relocation move. Governor of Tamil Nadu RN Ravi from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal. Appointment and transfer of governors is a routine administrative decision, but when the change involves election-bound states, political motives are alleged to drive the decision. Ironically, the ruling BJP has high stakes in both Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which go to polls in a few months. In West Bengal, the BJP is making all-out efforts to oust the Mamata-led Trinamool Congress government, while in Tamil Nadu, the saffron party has been instrumental in forging an anti-DMK alliance with its ally AIADMK.

why is there RN RaviAcute reaction to the transfer?RN Ravi’s tenure in Tamil Nadu was eventful. As governor of the state, Ravi, a former Deputy National Security Advisor, often found himself at war with the populace led by MK Stalin. DMK Government on various issues. Not surprisingly, West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress reacted to the change with alarm. DMK MP P Wilson’s response summed it all up: “I am sad for two reasons-firstly that DMK is losing a star campaigner in the coming elections. RN Ravi has been a constant reminder of BJP’s intentions with Tamil Nadu. Secondly, I am saddened for the people of West Bengal and my good friends All India Trinamool Congress (RNVICAS) where it goes. Constitution, federal structure and parliamentary democracy,” DMK’s Rajya Sabha member wrote in X.Veteran political analyst R Kannan welcomed RN Ravi’s transfer. “He was on a stiff collision course with the state government and insisted on certain things like the playing of the national anthem at the start of the assembly session which was completely stopped. Some issues such as the shortage of college teachers were appropriate. A mixed performance but welcome departure,” he said.Trinamool leaders attacked the BJP for this “unilateral decision”. Trinamool deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghosh complained: “By unilaterally appointing a new governor for Bengal, the Modi government has once again shown contempt for constitutional federalism. Raj Bhavans have become BJP war rooms.” Why DMK called MP RN Ravi the party’s star propagandist?RN Ravi, who took over as the 26th Governor of Tamil Nadu in 2021, months after the MK Stalin-led DMK government assumed office, had a turbulent tenure in the state due to repeated clashes with the state government. Ravi walked out of the Legislative Assembly for the fourth time in a row this year without giving a formal address, accusing him of disrespecting the national anthem. The Governor sat on several bills passed by the Assembly prompting the state government to approach the Supreme Court. Disagreements over the appointment of vice-chancellors resulted in 14 of the state’s 22 universities being without heads for between one and three years.Then there was the policy-driven fight over national education policy.And while all these issues affected the ruling DMK, what the BJP and its ally AIADMK were probably worried about was that RN Ravi faced a lot of conflict with the state government over his comments on Dravidian ideology and its icons. This perhaps explains why MP P Wilson said the DMK has lost a star campaigner. Perhaps, not only the DMK but also the AIADMK will be relieved by this change.Why are the grassroots worried?For the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, conflict with governors has long been a part of its politics. It started with Jagdeep Dhankar, who frequently clashed with the Mamata government as Governor of West Bengal. Then came CV Anand Bose. After a short period of time, his tenure was also filled with conflict on various issues. Now, with its track record of clashes with RN Ravi and the DMK government, the Trinamool Congress will be gearing up for another upset. The BJP, as expected, welcomed Ravi’s appointment. Senior West Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh made an interesting comment when he said that the change of governor should not be interpreted as a move to automatically impose President’s rule though suggested that such a situation could happen if the situation in the state worsens.“The new governor is coming, and we welcome him. We are happy that an IPS officer is taking over as governor. The law and order situation in Bengal is very bad, and we hope it will improve under his watch,” Ghosh told news agency IANS.“If President’s rule is to be imposed in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee cannot stop it. But if the governor is changed, it does not mean that President’s rule has been imposed. But their attitude may lead to President’s rule. The way the SIR process has been disrupted and delayed and the lack of cooperation of their employees has led to violence,” he said.The comments partly explain why the Trinamool has reacted aggressively to the new appointment. Already, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that outgoing Governor Bose may be pressured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the assembly elections “for certain political interests”.The governor can act independently of the elected state governmentThe Constitution provides a dual role to the Governor. The Governor is the executive head of a state (Article 154) and also the constitutional representative of the Centre. They act as nominal heads, usually on the advice of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers (Article 163), but have discretionary powers.Article 163 reads: “There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister to assist and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, so far as he is required to exercise his functions or any of them under this Constitution or at his discretion.” Obviously, the Governor has discretionary powers. Supreme Court lawyer and constitutional expert Gyanant Singh said, “There is no doubt that the Governor has the power to act independently of the state government in certain circumstances. But this power should not be misused in recent times.”“If you look at the text of the oath that a governor takes, it is different from that of political executives or even judges, including the Chief Justice of India, in so far as it says that the governor “shall act to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and laws,” Gnanth Singh said.The oath is the same as that of the President. Whereas for the political executive and judges of the Supreme Court, the oath says to have “true faith and loyalty to the Constitution of India” and not “to defend, protect and defend the Constitution”. The Constitution confers this special responsibility on the Governor but problems arise when his actions are politically motivated and against the spirit of the Constitution.The Oath of Office of Union Ministers reads: “I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as a Union Minister and that I will do what is right for all classes of people in accordance with the Constitution and laws without fear or favour, affection or reluctance.”Clearly, the Constitution gives discretionary powers to the Governor. But when this discretion appears to favor the ruling party at the Centre, it leads to political controversy and allegations of abuse of office. State governments always claim a say in appointing governors. Sarkaria and Poonchi Commission have recommended in this regard. But clearly no political party has the will to implement these recommendations. So this political conflict is unlikely to end anytime soon.