Tamilisai Soundararajan likely to contest Lok Sabha elections on BJP ticket, can ex-Governors contest?

Vibha Sharma

Chandigarh, March 18

The latest ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is that Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has resigned.

A press communique from Raj Bhavan stated: “The Hon’ble Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr Smt Tamilisai Soundararajan has tendered her resignation with immediate effect. The resignation has been submitted to the Hon’ble President of India.”

Tamilisai (62) was the second Governor of the new state of Telangana.

She is now expected to join the BJP and contest on a party ticket in the Lok Sabha elections.

Can ex-governors contest?

There is no bar on ex-governors from contest elections, but before the BJP assumed power in 2014, the governor’s office was mostly considered a retirement destination, a favour from the party, hence, there were hardly any examples of an ex-governor considering the option.

However, things appear to be changing. Apart from being involved in “politics of the state” as alleged by several opposition parties in non-BJP ruled states, some ex-governors have also thrown in their hats in election contests.

Ex-governors in the fray   

Former Arunachal Pradesh Governor JJ Singh contested against Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab in state elections.

After his retirement, JJ Singh was appointed Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in January 2008.

He joined the Shiromani Akali Dal and unsuccessfully contested against Amarinder Singh from Patiala Urban in 2017 Punjab Assembly elections on a SAD ticket. In 2019 he joined Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) and unsuccessfully contested from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.

In 2022, he joined BJP

Then there is Cummanam Rajasekaranm, ex-Governor of Mizoram, who, too, remained unsuccessful in Thiruvananthapuram against former union minister Shashi Tharoor in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

He also contested the 2021 Kerala State Legislative Assembly election from Nemom, again unsuccessfully.

Changing face of governors

Opposition parties have often accused the BJP of “doing politics through Governors in non-BJP ruled states”.

States like Tamil Nadu and Kerala also moved the Supreme Court against respective Governors.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has been accused of holding bills passed by the DMK ruled state government. Telangana and Punjab governments also agitated the same issue, alleging obstructionism in functioning by respective governors, in the Apex Court.