CHENNAI: Gone are the years when the customary address of the state governor went off peacefully, and on many occasions, it was considered a ritual, except for very few announcements sometimes. Ever since Governor R N Ravi assumed office in Tamil Nadu, except for the year 2022, his customary addresses to the state Assembly were mired in controversies.
Governor Ravi’s address is being keenly watched in view of his prolonged face-off with the DMK government ever since he assumed office. Political circles are abuzz with speculations on whether the address this year will pass off smoothly or trigger another controversy.
This year, the first session of the Assembly for 2026 will commence on January 20 with the customary address by the governor. Announcing this, Speaker M Appavu said, “The governor will read out the address prepared by the government. I trust that the governor will uphold the dignity of the Legislative Assembly.”
Ravi assumed office as governor on September 18, 2021, and promised to make his relationship with the state government as amicable as possible. His first customary address to the Assembly on January 5, 2022, was uneventful. However, that was the only exception in his tenure to date as relations between the governor and the DMK government subsequently deteriorated, with delays in granting assent to key bills and other issues.
On January 9, 2023, the governor walked out of the House after Chief Minister M K Stalin moved a resolution objecting to the governor adding and omitting certain portions instead of reading out the customary address prepared by the council of ministers, in accordance with the Constitution.
During the current year too, the governor’s tussle with the DMK government continued. On February 12 this year, the governor declined to read the government-prepared address in full, limiting himself to the introductory passages. Not only during the customary addresses but also across his tenure so far in Tamil Nadu, the governor has confronted the DMK government on many issues.
In his Republic Day address, the governor levelled many allegations against the government, which included — increasing menace of drugs, putting Tamil Nadu on a declining curve on key indicators, continued dehumanisation of Dalits, etc. In his Independence Day address too, he made several allegations about the DMK government.
Significantly, in the past years, the governor refused to read out certain portions in praise of the DMK government. Since the present government is completing its term within a few months and the governor’s address is expected to contain mostly praise for the government’s performance during the past four years, the attention is firmly on whether the governor’s address will proceed peacefully or will spark further tension between the Raj Bhavan and the state government.