Govt should be empowered to appoint governors, term should be five years; CPM introduces private bill on governor’s appointment

NEW DELHI: A private member bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha seeking a change in the appointment system of governors. The bill was introduced by CPM MP V Sivadasan. In addition to the appointment, the bill suggests amendments in governors’ tenure and transfer as well.

The bill’s main suggestion is to empower the states to appoint governors instead of the prevailing system in which the appointment is made by the President as recommended by the central government. The governor of a state should be elected by an electoral college consisting of elected MLAs and representatives of the local bodies.

The governor should have a term of five years. The bill also suggested that the assembly can remove a governor through a resolution passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present.
The bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha amid the ongoing tensions between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the state government. The governor had criticised the government for interfering into his jurisdiction. However, the controversies tightened as both the government and the party protested against the governor’s stances.