Opinion: Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi's Action Seems To Be Putting BJP In A Spot

Confrontation between Governors and state governments, specifically in opposition-ruled states, is not new in Indian politics. Despite the chequered history on this issue, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's sacking of arrested minister Senthil Balaji, without any consent from the state cabinet, was an unprecedented low.

In this case, it is reported that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had to intervene, just hours after Governor Ravi issued his controversial order sacking the minister on Thursday evening, to avert what could have been an embarrassing constitutional confrontation.

It was after this intervention that Governor Ravi backtracked and kept his own decision in abeyance, seeking legal advice.

The Supreme Court has, in several judgments, ruled that Governors will have to act on the advice of the council of ministers from the state cabinet, just as the President of India does for the central cabinet. The court has been categorical about the role of a Governor in landmark verdicts like Shamsher Singh Versus the State of Punjab (1975) and Maru Ram Versus Union of India in (1981). These cases have been cited in several subsequent judgments where the court has held that the "Governor is but a shorthand expression for the State government".

Given this legal foundation, experts instinctively argued that Governor Ravi's decision was unprecedented and would not have stood the test of law. A confident first response of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin was that the state government will challenge the matter legally.

While the Home Ministry's intervention, ensuring that the Governor withdrew his decision, averted a legal confrontation, it has done nothing to defuse the political confrontation that has been simmering - and frequently exploding - in Tamil Nadu.

Historically, the southern states have been more aggressive in opposing any intrusion or interference, political or administrative, from central governments. Strong linguistic and regional identity bolsters this stance; Governors are seen as "agents of the Centre".

Against this backdrop, Governor RN Ravi's constant run-ins with the DMK government, including his comments criticising core Dravidian ideological narratives that dominate the state polity, have only reinforced the regional sentiment that is the cornerstone of the DMK's politics in the southern state. The DMK has also alleged that the Raj Bhavan has been turned into a "political and ideological" office.

The DMK government has released a strongly-worded letter condemning the Governor. The party is known for its aggressive grassroots mobilisation on such issues. In the past, this confrontation has plumbed new lows, with open "threats to the Governor" issued by the DMK cadre.

The longer the issue plays out, the stronger the sentiment in favour of the state government and Chief Minster MK Stalin. In the run-up to the 2024 election, which is likely to be ideologically polarising, this sentiment could only buttress the regional party.

The BJP cannot be openly seen as distancing itself from the governor, but privately, several state leaders have long held that the Governor's actions and ideological statements will be of no help to the party electorally.

The arrested minister is from the same district as the BJP state president K Annamalai.

Senthil Balaji shifted to the DMK from the AIADMK in 2018. The BJP had even released a video clip of MK Stalin accusing Senthil Balaji of corruption when they were on rival sides. The BJP wanted to build a narrative of corruption against the DMK using this issue.

However, the Governor's move has taken the focus away from corruption allegations against the minister - who is widely perceived as corrupt - and has turned it into a Raj Bhavan versus state government battle. His dramatic arrest was initially used by the DMK to create a narrative of abuse by central agencies, and now the focus is on what many are calling the Governor's overreach.

In the past, Governor Ravi had criticised the "Dravidian model" of governance and had even questioned the name of the state. These instances have been embarrassing even to the BJP's principal ally in the state, the AIADMK or All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Electorally, the DMK has constantly portrayed the BJP as a "North Indian Party". The state BJP's focus is on negating that image. It has preferred to stay with themes like corruption and nepotism against the DMK rather than embark on an ideological confrontation in a state where it has a weak presence.

Governor Ravi doesn't seem to be helping BJP in the Dravidian state at all.

(TM Veeraraghav is the Executive Editor, BQ Prime.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.