Maharashtra, Bengal governors prepare for fight

Amid reports that some UPA-appointed governors are holding out against attempts to ease them out of office, Maharashtra’s K Sankaranarayanan and West Bengal’s MK Narayanan have taken a firm stand against giving up their posts.

Amid reports that some UPA-appointed governors are holding out against attempts to ease them out of office, Maharashtra’s K Sankaranarayanan and West Bengal’s MK Narayanan have taken a firm stand against giving up their posts.

While the Maharashtra governor has said he will quit only if asked by an “appropriate decision-making authority” to do so, the West Bengal governor has said he would convey his decision once things are clear.

“Union home secretary Anil Goswami called me twice during last week (asking to demit office). I didn’t reply to him...the governor’s post is a constitutional one. He is a representative of the President. No responsible person has asked me anything in writing to (be) relieved of the post.

“If an appropriate decision-making authority asks me (to quit), I will definitely think over it,” he told a Malayalam TV channel.

The West Bengal governor also was quite terse in responding to questions about his resignation. “I have not resigned yet. I am not obliged to tell you what I will do. Once I take a decision I will let you know,” Narayanan said while talking to the media on his way to attend a programme at GD Birla Sabhaghar in Kolkata.

Both the Octogenarian leaders took over the governors of the respective states in 2010.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress targeted BJP over the issue with Mamata Banerjee siding with the governor. “The governor is not a political person. It will be sad if he is removed on political grounds,” remarked Subrata Mukherjee, senior TMC leader and state panchayat minister.

According to sources, the West Bengal CM already had a discussion with Narayanan on the question when she visited him on Tuesday.

Three governors B L Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), HR Bhardwaj (Karnataka) and J B Patnaik (Assam) – have already submitted their resignations. Some others, including Sankaranarayanan, have apparently decided to resist the move.