The governor's role

India’s political history has been rife with instances of appointed governors of states entering into strong disagreements and even open conflicts with the elected governments of the states they serve. Given that federalism and the relative powers of the Union and state governments have once again become major flashpoints in Indian politics, it should not be surprising that the headlines are being dominated by such disagreements, particularly in states that are run by political parties that are in opposition at the Centre. The most visible of such disagreements is between the veteran politician Arif Mohammad Khan, who is serving as governor of Kerala, and the Left Democratic Front government of the state. The immediate provocation appears to have been the