Come September, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi will complete two years in office. Since Mr. Ravi was appointed as the Governor, the M.K. Stalin-led State government’s relations with Raj Bhavan have been fraught , coming to a head multiple times.
The leader of the ruling coalition, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has historically questioned the role of Governors and advocated federalism. DMK founder C.N. Annadurai likened the Governor’s role to a goat’s beard, saying both were unnecessary. The dismissal of the M. Karunanidhi government on the recommendations of Governor K. K. Shah during the Emergency further hardened the DMK’s stand.
Current Governor Mr. Ravi also faced multiple calls from the government to step down from his post, having his fair share of impasses with them. The latest disagreement between the two parties relates to Mr. Ravi’s decision to ‘dismiss’ arrested Minister V. Senthilbalaji from the cabinet on June 29, only to hurriedly backtrack on his decision in a few hours. That decision has now been kept in abeyance.
