Anandiben Patel’s record tenure: Know the appointment, tenure of governors and provisions of the Constitution

These days, the tenure of Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel remains the center of discussion in Indian politics. She has held the post of Governor of Uttar Pradesh for more than 7 years, which is the longest tenure of any Governor in the history of the state. Recently, there is a lot of speculation in the political circles about his visit to Gujarat for a few days, due to which the question has once again arisen as to what the Indian Constitution says about the tenure of governors and their removal from office.

What does the Constitution say about the tenure of the Governor?

Clear provisions related to the tenure of the Governor have been made in Article 156 of the Indian Constitution. According to:

• The Governor holds his office ‘during the pleasure of the President’.

• The normal tenure of the Governor is 5 years.

• According to Article 156(3) of the Constitution, even after the completion of the 5-year term, the Governor can continue in his post until his successor assumes charge.

Constitutional experts believe that there is no such compulsion in the Constitution that after completion of 5 years the Governor has to give a separate order for extension of tenure. This is the reason why there are many such examples in the country where the Governor has held the post for more than the stipulated five years. Former Meghalaya Governor MM Jacob held the post for almost 12 years, which is a record for the longest continuous tenure as a Governor in the country.

Coordination and discussions between Raj Bhavan and the government

Even though constitutionally it is legal for the Governor to remain in office for a long time, there are often discussions about it in political circles. In Uttar Pradesh, both the Chief Minister and the Governor belong to the same political party, yet differences have come to the fore on policy and administrative issues on many occasions.

Recently, during Governor Anandiben Patel’s visit to Gorakhpur, she was in the news for expressing public displeasure over the arrangements of the university and giving instructions to the officials on administrative shortcomings. Apart from this, discussions have also been taking place between Raj Bhavan and the government regarding the appointments of Vice Chancellors and administrative work in universities.

Is Anandiben Patel’s tenure constitutionally correct?

From a legal and constitutional point of view, Anandiben Patel’s continued tenure as Governor of Uttar Pradesh for more than 7 years is completely within the ambit of the Constitution, because until a new Governor is appointed, the existing Governor can continue in his post. However, political analysts believe that under this constitutional system, a person continuing in office for such a long time definitely becomes a subject of debate in terms of institutional traditions and political correctness.