Kiran Bediâs Sudden Removal As Lieutenant Governor Smacks of Arbitrariness
The Puducherry Lieutenant Governor s abrupt termination by the president revives the debate about the Centreâs powers.
File photo of Kiran Bedi. Photo: PTI/Files
Law17/Feb/2021
Article 155 says the governor of a state shall be appointed by the president. Article 156 (1) says the governor shall hold office during the pleasure of the president. Barring resignation by the governor or withdrawal by the president, they shall remain in office for a term of five years from the date of appointment.
President Ram Nath Kovindâs order on Tuesday that Kiran Bedi ceases to hold the office of the Lieutenant-Governor (LG) of Puducherry meant that he had withdrawn his pleasure under Article 156(1). The presidentâs order is silent on whether Bedi can continue in office till her named successor, the Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, assumes her new role. But what it makes clear is that Soundar