From Tamil Nadu to West Bengal: How Governor RN Ravi’s transfer affects two poll-bound states

Why is there Registered Nurse RaviTransfer sparks backlash?RN Ravi’s tenure in Tamil Nadu was eventful. As the state’s governor, Ravi, a former deputy national security adviser, often engaged in public feuds with Stalin’s MK. DMK Government targets different issues. No wonder the ruling Trinamool Congress party in West Bengal reacted with shock to the change. DMK MP P Wilson’s reaction sums it all up: “I am sad about two things – firstly, the DMK has lost a star campaigner in the upcoming elections. RN Ravi is a constant reminder of the BJP’s intentions for Tamil Nadu. Secondly, I feel sad for the people of West Bengal and my good friends in the All India Trinamool Congress Party. Wherever he (RN Ravi) goes, the casualties are the Constitution, the federal structure and parliamentary democracy,” DMK’s Rajya Sabha member wrote on XSenior political analyst R Kannan welcomed RN Ravi’s transfer. “He had a bitter confrontation with the state government and some of the things he insisted on, such as the playing of the national anthem at the beginning of parliamentary sessions, were simply wrong. Things like insufficient faculty in universities are appropriate. The performance was mixed, but it was a welcome departure,” he said.Trinamool leaders were quick to attack the BJP for this “unilateral decision”. TMC’s Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghose deputy leader claimed: “The Modi government has once again shown contempt for constitutional federalism by unilaterally appointing the new governor of Bengal. Raj Bhavans has become the war room of the BJP.” Why DMK MP calls RN Ravi party star campaignerRN Ravi became the 26th Governor of Tamil Nadu in 2021, a few months after the MK Stalin-led DMK government took office. His tenure in the state was tumultuous and he often clashed with the state government. Ravi walked out of a rally for the fourth consecutive time this year without delivering his customary speech, claiming disrespect for the national anthem. The governor was involved in several bills passed by the Assembly, prompting the state government to file cases in the Supreme Court. Disagreements over the appointment of vice-chancellors have resulted in 14 of the state’s 22 universities having principals with tenure ranging from one to three years.Then there are policy-driven fights, such as those over national education policy.While all these issues affect the ruling DMK, what may worry the BJP and its ally AIADMK is RN Ravi’s multiple confrontations with the state government over his remarks against Dravidian ideology and its icons. This may explain 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 Trinamool is worriedFor the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, confrontation with the governor has long been part of its politics. It started with Jagdeep Dhankar, who often clashed with the Mamata government when he was the governor of West Bengal. Then there is CV Ananda Bose. After a brief period of affability, his tenure was marked by confrontation on a variety of issues. Now, the Trinamool Congress is braced for another round of unrest in view of RN Ravi and his record of confrontation with the DMK government. As expected, the BJP welcomed Ravi’s appointment. In an interesting remark, senior West Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said the change of governor should not automatically be interpreted as a step towards imposing President’s rule, even as he hinted that the situation in the state could lead to such an outcome if the situation worsens.“The new Governor is coming and we welcome him. We are happy to have an IPS officer as the Governor. The law and order situation in Bengal is very bad and we hope the situation will improve under his watch,” Ghosh told news agency IANS.“If the President’s Rule is to be implemented in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee cannot stop it. But if the Governor is changed, it does not necessarily mean that the President’s Rule has been implemented.” However, because of their attitude, Presidential Rules may happen. Disruptions and delays in the SIR process, as well as lack of cooperation from staff, led to the violence,” he said.These comments partly explain why the Trinamool reacted strongly to the new appointments. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that outgoing Governor Bose may have been pressured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to “serve certain political interests” ahead of the Assembly elections.Can a governor act independently of an elected state government?The Constitution gives the governor a dual role. The Governor-General is the executive head of the state (Article 154) and the constitutional representative of the Centre. As titular heads, they usually act on the advice of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers (Article 163), but they have discretionary powers.Article 163 provides: “A Council of Ministers, headed by the Chief Minister, shall be established to assist and advise the Governor in the discharge of his functions, except insofar as the Governor is required to exercise any function under this Constitution or at his discretion.” Obviously, the governor has discretion. Supreme Court lawyer and constitutional law expert Ginant Singh said: “There is no doubt that the governor has the power to act independently of the state government in certain circumstances. However, this power should not be abused as has happened recently.”“If you look at the content of the oath taken by the governor, you will find that it is different from the content of the oath taken by political administrators and even judges, including the Chief Justice of India, so far, that the governor will act to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the laws,” said Ginant Singh.The content of the oath is similar to the content of the presidential oath. And for the political executives and judges of the Supreme Court, the oath taken is about “true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India” and not about “preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution”. The Constitution gives the Governor this special responsibility, but problems arise when his actions are politically motivated and violate the spirit of the Constitution.The oath of office of the Union Minister is as follows: “I will preserve the sovereignty and integrity of India, I will discharge my duties as a Union Minister faithfully and conscientiously, and I will treat all persons with kindness and kindness in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear, favor, affection or malice.”Clearly, the Constitution gives the governor discretion. But when that discretion appears to benefit the party’s dominance at the center, it sparks political controversy and accusations of abuse of the position. The state government has been demanding a say in appointing governors. The Sarkaria and Punchhi committees have made recommendations in this regard. But it is clear that no political party has the will to implement these recommendations. Therefore, this political battle is unlikely to end anytime soon.