It refers to discussion held on 09.04.2017 in the eleventh meeting on centre-state relationship where role of state-governors was discussed. It was rightly suggested in the meeting held after a long gap of twelve years that state-governors should be above party-politics. But previous experiences including the latest ones in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand reveal something different especially after the reports of respective state-governors subsequent to Supreme Court verdicts became a cause of big embarrassment for central government and even President of India. Situation was even worse in earlier regime where several state-governors openly misused Governor-Houses like party-headquarters through their politically biased decisions.
Demand of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for abolition of useless posts of state-governors, which are nothing but white-elephants on public-exchequers, should be seriously considered with notorious persons like ND Tiwari having misused Raaj-Bhawan for the indecent luxury never expected from persons holding posts of state-governors. Even the then Madhya Pradesh Governor B Pattabhi Sitaramayya long back in the year 1956 observed that state-Governor has no role other than to send fortnightly reports to President of India. The Then Uttar Pradesh governor Sarojini Naidu during her tenure between 1947-1949 expressed state-Governor like a bird imprisoned in the golden-cage. Role of state-governors in giving nod to bills passed can be better handled by Chief Justices of states.
Discretionary and often-misused power of governors in selecting Chief Ministers can and should be curtailed by formulating a system whereby Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker may be simultaneously elected by secret and compulsory vote of all members of lower House on nominations signed by at least 34-percent members through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) thereby abolishing any need of a post of Governor. Such elected persons may be removed only by same process but with compulsion to name alternate leader in the same motion. Members not participating in such a democratic process of electing leaders of the House may lose right of voting in State Legislative Assembly.
Even if posts of state-governors are retained, only non-political persons having never contested any elections should only be appointed as state-governors, with binding of their not joining active politics after retirement. In case of violation, all their pensions and other benefits even for their earlier-held posts may be forfeited.
MADHU AGRAWAL