Topping the list is the appointment of governors to five states – Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan and Telangana. 

The governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devavrat, demitted office last week after his term ended on July 22, while the term of Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel ends this Sunday, on July 28.

An announcement on these two states, both which are politically high-stake states for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, may come anytime.

There are three more states – Rajasthan, Kerala and Telangana – for which the government has to soon decide on new governors. 

The  term of Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Singh ends September 8, while Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s term ends September 5. 

Besides, Telangana hasn’t had a full time governor since the last occupant of the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, Tamilisai Soundararajan, quit office in March this year to rejoin active politics in Tamil Nadu.  

Jharkhand governor CP Radhakrishnan currently holds additional charge of Telangana.

Governors are appointed for a five-year term by the President based on the recommendations made by the government of the day. Typically, the party in power nominates senior functionaries and leaders who it wants to reward for their loyalty and long service. 

Although the role of the Governor is largely ceremonial in normal times, it becomes crucial when there is a political crisis such as the collapse of an elected government, inter-party defections or any other development that affects political stability in the state. 

Which is why, the ruling party at Centre considers many factors while making nominations for governors. Most governors appointed over the past 10 years have been leaders with a strong background in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) – BJP’s ideological fountainhead.

“The positions of many governors will fall vacant in the next few months. The decision to appoint them would be taken by the President as and when a vacancy comes up,” said Guru Prakash, National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party. 

According to sources in the ruling party, discussions are being held on potential candidates for governorships. Names doing the rounds include former cabinet ministers Mahendra Nath Pandey, RK Singh, Ashwini Choubey, Dr Harshvardhan, V K Singh and retired Gujarat cadre bureaucrat K Kailashnathan.

Rarely, a governor gets a second term in the same state. For insurance, Patel was made governor of Madhya Pradesh after she stepped down as chief minister of Gujarat. When her term in Bhopal ended, she was appointed governor of Uttar Pradesh.

In addition to appointment of governors, the government also has to make decisions with respect to Lieutnant Governors for a few union territories. 

For instance, Puducherry hasn’t had a full-time Lt. Governor for a long time – since February 2021. Currently the governor of Jharkhand holds additional charge. Priori to him, Soundararajan was holding charge of Puducherry in addition to her governorship of Telangana.

Similarly, Lt. Governor of Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu, has been holding additional charge of Lakshadweep since December 5 2020.

The tenure of his office in Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu also comes to an end in January next year, which means by January the government will have to fill two slots of Lt. Governor that will fall vacant.