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,

© Indian Express