Raj Bhavan Resident

The governor of Gujarat is at the very centre of a political mess,with the Bharatiya Janata Party stalling Parliament for three consecutive days over the appointment of a Lokayukta in Gujarat. The BJP complains that the new Lokayukta,a retired judge named R.A. Mehra,was appointed by Governor Kamla Beniwal without consulting Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The Gujarat Congress,MLAs from which met President Pratibha Patil today,argues that the state Lokayukta Act permits the governor to act in this case without the advice of the state cabinet,and that,that indeed had been the precedent — at least till the eight-year gap between Lokayuktas that this recent appointment has ended. It appears that,again,the Congress has set Centre and state on a collision course,causing questions to return to the extent of the party’s commitment to federalism.

While the 1986 law that covers the appointment of the Lokayukta may indeed be made by the governor alone “after consultation with the chief justice of the high court and… the leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly”,making no mention of the chief minister of the time,the question remains: why not ask the chief minister anyway? That would demonstrate a credible commitment to federalism. The current Gujarat government might well want to amend the law,too,to bring in some formal government representation in the process.

The larger point here is that allowing governors to be seen as representatives of the party in power at the Centre in their state is a short-sighted and futile strategy. Once that impression gains ground,even an action that might not be taken following orders from Delhi,that are specifically politically motivated,will be seen as being so,vitiating the political atmosphere in the state,undermining federalism and hurting the stature of the governor’s office itself. Rather than an imperial resident in a state capital,the governor is supposed to be,like the president,a symbol of the state,and of its integration in the Union. Instead,the governor’s office frequently is seen as a threat to federalism. This is an inescapable consequence of exploiting the office for political ends. The Congress,which behaves as if it will be in power for ever,needs to remember that institutions serve to protect principles — and principles benefit us all.