The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of Deputy Chief Ministers in States on the ground that no such position exists in the Constitution.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud found no harm in the appointment of Deputy Chief Ministers, reasoning that they were after all Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) of the States and Ministers of State governments, and never mind the nomenclature.
“Deputy Chief Ministers are first and foremost Ministers in the government of the State. A person who holds the office of the Deputy Chief Minister must at any event, within a stipulated period, be an MLA. Such appointments do not breach the Constitution,” Chief Justice Chandrachud observed.
