Why Bengal’s new governor is sparking talk of President’s rule
· Scroll
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The Modi government’s decision last week to appoint Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi as the next governor of West Bengal has fanned speculation about the Centre’s plans for the state. The development comes at a time when uncertainty is looming over the upcoming Assembly elections, making some worry that President’s rule might be imposed in Bengal.
Ravi’s tenure in Tamil Nadu, which began in September 2021 and saw a series of controversies, has only added to these fears. His critics see him as a governor who has scant regard for federalism, frequently stepping on the toes of the state government. Last year, in a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court even reversed his decision to not sign bills approved by the state Assembly.
Politicians and civil society figures from Kolkata told Scroll that Ravi’s entry in Bengal will intensify clashes between the state and the Centre as polls draw closer.
What the concerns are
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was first to set the cat among the pigeons by speculating why CV Ananda Bose, her state’s governor since November 2022, had resigned all of a sudden. Her party leaders go one step further.
“They [the Bharatiya Janata Party] have always wanted to impose President’s rule in the state,” claimed Mohammad Tauseef Rahman, a national spokesperson of...