PIL in Supreme Court seeks cancellation of ‘Deputy Chief Ministers’ portfolio

New Delhi: A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court against the appointment of Deputy Chief Ministers in various state governments.

The plea said that Deputy Chief Ministers have been appointed by the concerned state governments despite there being no provision for such appointments under the Constitution of India and Article 164 of the Constitution provides for the appointment of only Chief Ministers.

“The Appointment of Deputy Chief Ministers has nothing to do with the citizens/public of the States, nor, any extra welfare is extended to the public of the States, if alleged Deputy Chief Ministers are appointed,” said the PIL drawn by advocate Mohan Lal Sharma.

It added that the appointment of Deputy Chief Ministers causes confusion to the public at large and is setting up wrong and illegal examples by political parties by creating imaginary portfolios as Deputy Chief Ministers cannot take any independent decision of Chief Ministers, though they are projected and shown as equal to Chief Ministers.

Needless to state that a Deputy Chief Minister acts only as a Cabinet Minister or like any other minister and nothing more than that, the PIL said.

It demanded the Union government to take steps against such unconstitutional appointments through Governors of the state who make oaths of alleged Deputy Chief Ministers in the country.

As per the details available on the website of the apex court, the plea will be tentatively taken up by a bench presided over by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud on February 12.