CM Powers and Election Process | How is the Chief Minister Elected | About Chief Minister | TheCbseSolver

 

About Chief Ministers

Chief Minister of a state of India is the ‘elected’ head of the government and the executive authority lies with the Chief Minister. As per the constitution, A Governor is the head of the state, however, Chief Minister is the ‘de facto’ head of that particular state. There are 28 states in India and 9 union territories. Of these 9 union territories, 2 have their own state legislative assemblies (Delhi and Puducherry). Therefore, there are 30 chief ministers in India. The status of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is not yet decided, therefore it remains a full union territory as of now.

According to the Indian Constitution, in the everyday administration, the CM is assisted by the council of ministers, which consists of cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, and others. The CM is appointed by and sworn in by the Governor.

 

 

How is the Chief Minister Elected?

Any state in India undergoes elections every five years to elect the government of the state. Following the elections of the state legislative assembly which is more commonly known as Vidhan Sabha, the governor invites the party which has secured the highest number of seats in the election to form a government. Upon satisfying the majority number criteria, that party can form government in the state. If no party has secured the majority mark, a coalition of various parties can form a government in the state. This model is based on the West-minister System.

The term of the chief minister is parallel with the term of the legislative assembly- five years, subject to the fulfillment of the majority number criteria. If the incumbent government falls short of a majority, the term of the Chief Minister ends before five years.

 

Power and Authority of Chief Minister

The powers and functions enjoyed by the Chief Minister are similar to those of the Prime Minister of India, within a restricted jurisdiction of a state. Some of these are mentioned below:

The CM holds the executive powers of the state government. He/she has the power to form his council of ministers, choosing members of his party for particular ministries within the working of the state. The core council of ministers is called the Cabinet, members of which are decided by the Chief Minister. The various departments are allotted to various ministers by the CM. Ministers are removed from their portfolios if the CM does not like his/her performance.

 

• The CM is the link between the Governor and the council of ministers. He is required to communicate to the Governor the workings of the various wings of the government. Similarly, the advice and suggestions of the Governor are communicated to the council of ministers by the CM.

 

• The CM has a pivotal role in the financial matters of a state, including the budget, basic infrastructural and developmental priorities of the state, financial planning and economic growth of the state and others.

 

• The Chief Minister is the chief spokesperson of the government of a state. With the help of media, the CM communicates all policies and decisions to the people of the state. The CM holds regular or periodic press conferences wherein he/she makes the citizens of a state aware of the functioning of the government.

 

All major decisions in the state are taken by the CM with the support of the council of ministers. Since the CM is the 'executive' head of the state, the technological, infrastructural and socioeconomic development rests solely within his/her duty and jurisdiction. The state government is financially aided by the Center, in terms of resources and materials.