There is something rotten brewing in India’s Raj Bhavans. Behind the perfectly manicured lawns, and the gleaming chandeliers, lurk some strange shadows. Raj Bhavans once housed ceremonial men and women of the state, worthy dignitaries who presided over rose garden competitions and gave out awards at local talent shows.
Yes, pompous central governments from Indira Gandhi’s time onward have often used governors to settle political scores, but nothing equals the scale of the politicisation of today’s Raj Bhavans.