logo
Jagdeep Dhankhar's tenure as West Bengal Governor was a constitutional flashpoint

Jagdeep Dhankhar's tenure as West Bengal Governor was a constitutional flashpoint

Indian Express22-07-2025
The office of the Governor in India's constitutional architecture occupies a unique and often delicate space. The tenure of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned as Vice President of India last night, as Governor of West Bengal is a classic example of how that delicate space can cause conflict between two offices.
As the nominal head of a state, the Governor is expected to function as a vital link to the Union, a custodian of the Constitution, and a guide to the elected government. This role has an inherent tension: How to perform these duties, particularly on constitutional oversight, without being perceived as encroaching upon the democratic mandate of the state legislature and executive. Dhankhar's role as Governor of WB brought this tension into sharp public focus.
A defining feature was his prolific use of public platforms, most notably Twitter, to communicate his views and question the state government's actions. This marked a departure from constitutional tradition and practice, that gubernatorial advice and concerns are best offered in private consultation with the Chief Minister. By taking his critiques of administrative and policy matters directly to the public sphere, Jagdeep Dhankhar created a dynamic of constant, open friction with the Mamata Banerjee government, fundamentally altering the nature of their constitutional engagement.
On the issue of law and order, Dhankhar was a persistent critic, frequently summoning senior police officials and issuing statements that questioned the state's administrative capacity. Following the 2021 Assembly elections, his visits to areas affected by post-poll violence were presented as a response to a constitutional crisis. However, these actions were met with accusations from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) that the Raj Bhavan was acting in a partisan manner, with his pronouncements often aligning closely with the narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition in the state.
This friction extended deep into the legislative domain. The Governor's power to grant or withhold assent to bills passed by the legislature is a constitutional check, but it is meant to be exercised with utmost restraint. During his tenure, several bills, including the crucial Howrah Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, remained pending at the Raj Bhavan for extended periods.The state government argued that such delays amounted to an obstruction of the legislative will of the people.
To appreciate the distinctiveness of this approach, it is instructive to contrast it with the gubernatorial style of Gopal Krishna Gandhi, who served in West Bengal from 2004 to 2009. Gandhi, a seasoned diplomat and scholar, presided during an equally, if not more, volatile period. His interventions, however, were rooted in what could be described as constitutional quietude and moral suasion. He engaged in firm, but discreet, dialogue with the then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. He sought to be a mediator, a calming influence who could facilitate talks between the government and the Opposition, then led by Mamata Banerjee. The contrast is one of method: One chose public scrutiny as the primary tool of accountability, the other chose private counsel and moral authority.
While one contextualises Jagdeep Dhankhar's tenure, it cannot be divorced from the prevailing national political climate, characterised by intense competition between the BJP-led central government and powerful regional parties such as the TMC. His actions in West Bengal were seen by many observers as part of a pattern in Opposition-ruled states where the Raj Bhavan became a key site of political contestation. This aligns with the long-standing debate over the role of the Governor, with bodies like the Sarkaria Commission having cautioned decades ago against appointing active politicians to the post to prevent the office from being used for partisan ends.
The governorship of Dhankhar in West Bengal was a tenure that consistently tested the established conventions of India's federal democracy. By adopting a posture of public and persistent opposition to the elected state government, his term forced a debate on the very nature of the Governor's role. It highlighted a fundamental divergence in approach from predecessors like Gopal Krishna Gandhi, who operated on the principle of dignified detachment and mediation.
The legacy of Jagdeep Dhankhar's term in West Bengal is, therefore, one that brought critical questions to the fore, one that continues to play out in other states: Where does a Governor's duty to uphold the Constitution end and political interference begin? And what are the long-term institutional consequences when the Raj Bhavan is perceived not as a neutral umpire, but as a player in the political arena?
The author is a political anthropologist and teaches in Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Government College, Kolkata
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Assam CM briefs PM on welfare schemes
Assam CM briefs PM on welfare schemes

Hans India

time18 minutes ago

  • Hans India

Assam CM briefs PM on welfare schemes

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to apprise him of the progress made in various socio-economic indicators and welfare schemes in the State. The Chief Minister also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy during his visit to the national capital. Sarma said he also conveyed 'on behalf of the people of Assam, our anticipation to welcome him (PM) on 8th September — a moment that will mark another milestone in our State's development journey'. Sarma also presented the Prime Minister with a 'gamosa' (Assamese hand towel) and several mementoes. The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Assam on September 8 to inaugurate the year-long celebration of Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika's birth centenary and dedicate the nation's first bio-ethanol plant at Numaligarh in Golaghat district. Sarma also met the Finance Minister in Parliament and briefed her about Assam's progress on socio-economic parameters and sought her ministry's support and cooperation in furthering the economic development of the State. Sarma also met the Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, and discussed Coal India's operations in Tinsukia district's Margherita.

Rijiju Cites Indira Gandhi's 1971 Letter To Counter Rahul Gandhi's ‘No Political Will' Charge
Rijiju Cites Indira Gandhi's 1971 Letter To Counter Rahul Gandhi's ‘No Political Will' Charge

News18

time29 minutes ago

  • News18

Rijiju Cites Indira Gandhi's 1971 Letter To Counter Rahul Gandhi's ‘No Political Will' Charge

Rijiju's remarks were a direct rebuttal to Rahul Gandhi's charge that the Modi government failed to back the armed forces during Operation Sindoor. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has hit back at Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who accused the government of lacking the 'political will" to strike Pakistan during the recent Operation Sindoor. The fiery exchange comes after a heated debate in Parliament, where Gandhi claimed the Centre tied the hands of the armed forces during the four-day border conflict, resulting in the loss of Indian aircraft. As reported by NDTV, Rijiju responded by invoking history—specifically, a letter written by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to former US President Richard Nixon during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Sharing the letter's US archives link on X (formerly Twitter), Rijiju questioned the Congress party's legacy of political resolve. 'Please give four minutes to see this text of the letter of Indira Gandhi to President Nixon. Is this the political will of Indira Gandhi ji?" he wrote. Dated December 5, 1971, Indira Gandhi's letter appealed to the US to urge Pakistan to end its 'wanton aggression" and 'military adventurism." She also requested Nixon to use his influence to address the root cause of the conflict—East Bengal (now Bangladesh). Rijiju's remarks were a direct rebuttal to Rahul Gandhi's charge that the Modi government failed to back the armed forces during Operation Sindoor. Gandhi alleged that the Defence Minister had acknowledged constraints placed on the military, suggesting a lack of will at the political level. view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 09:13 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Will endeavour to enact the law regulating private tuition classes at the earliest: State to HC
Will endeavour to enact the law regulating private tuition classes at the earliest: State to HC

Hindustan Times

time42 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Will endeavour to enact the law regulating private tuition classes at the earliest: State to HC

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Government told the Bombay high court on Monday that a draft of the Maharashtra Private Tuition Classes (Regulations) Bill had been prepared and that it would endeavor to pass it as soon as possible. Mumbai, India - September 03, 2021: Bombay High Court at Fort, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, September 03, 2021. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO) The division bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice Sandeep Marne was hearing a petition filed by Bhagwanji Raiyani for the implementation of the court's orders in 2008 and 2018 that directed the state government to regulate the functioning of the coaching classes in the state. Bhagwanji Raiyani, associated with the Forum for Fairness in Education, has been petitioning the high court since 1990, seeking a legal framework for the functioning of coaching classes and the 2008 and 2018 orders were issued in response to his petitions. Raiyani, in his current petition, said that though the state government had told the court that a bill for regulating private coaching classes would be tabled in the monsoon session of the state assembly, no such bill was tabled. Government pleader Purnima Kantharia told the court, 'The draft bill has already been prepared but could not be passed in the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.' The bill would be passed as soon as possible, she added. A committee was appointed via a government resolution dated January 4, 2017, to prepare a law to regulate coaching classes in the state, she said. In January 2024, the central government too had directed all states to come up with a legal framework for private coaching classes. Following this, the state education department had studied similar bills enacted by states like Karnataka, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and prepared the draft, Kantharia said. The bill drafted by the state defines the term 'coaching classes' and covers regulation of fees, availability of infrastructure and facilities for students and advertising malpractices, she said

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store