Governor can't conduct floor test on the floor of Raj Bhavan: Harish Salve

In an exclusive interview with India Today, former Solicitor General Harish Salve discusses the role of the state governor regarding government formation after the recent assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. He clarifies that asking for letters of support is not unconstitutional and falls under the governor's discretion to ensure the proposed government has a reasonable prospect of proving its majority. A floor test must occur in the assembly, not at the governor's residence. The conversation highlights that while Governors possess constitutional discretion, deliberately delaying the process to allow rival political alliances to gather numbers and defeat the single largest party would be considered an act of bad faith. The analysis also touches upon historical precedents in other states where different standards were applied, acknowledging concerns about the political partisanship of gubernatorial offices while emphasising the necessity of trusting constitutional institutions.