By Abhijit Roy
Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the controversial governor of Maharashtra, eventually had his resignation accepted after much waiting. The decision to make a change in Maharashtra was required since Koshyari’s actions and remarks throughout his three-year tenure not only inflamed the opposition parties but also did everything in his power to make the ruling party look bad. Even in the state’s non-political circles, his comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, and Savitribai Phule sparked hostility. Additionally, his claim was particularly damaging because Mumbai would lose its status as the nation’s financial hub if Rajasthanis and Gujaratis left. Koshyari found it challenging to remain in office as a result of these controversies, and eventually he quit. He urged that the Prime Minister immediately release him from his obligations. In this regard, the president’s decision from last Sunday was made in a way that all the parties felt relieved. Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais, who was transferred to Maharashtra, will also be remembered for political controversies during his nearly one year and eight months in office. On more than a dozen occasions, there was mutual disagreement and even discord within the Hemant Soren-led government. However, the same cannot be said for governors appointed in other states at the same time. Governors have been replaced in a total of 13 states, with transfer being used in seven of them. That is, the governor who sent her there had previously praised a similar position in a different state. One former Supreme Court justice and four BJP leaders are among the six fresh faces who have been dispatched to the Raj Bhavans. Only last month did the former justice leave the Supreme Court. There is no doubt that a retired Supreme Court judge has served at the Raj Bhavan before, and it cannot be inferred that a retired judge is incapable of carrying out the duties of governor in a manner that is appropriate for the office. However, it has been stated that an interval of at least six months or a year would be preferable for the dignity of both the position of governor and the position of Supreme Court judge before the seat was transferred.
(Author is a Jamshedpur based columnist. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at [email protected])