Question

Who appoints the Chief Minister of a state?
A.President
B. Prime Minister
C. Governor
D. Chief Justice

Answer 1

Hint: Chief Minister is the real executive of the Government whereas the Governor is a state’s de jure head. The provisions for the appointment of the Chief Minister of a state has been mentioned in Article 164 of the Indian Constitution.

Complete answer: According to Article 164 of the Indian Constitution, the Governor appoints the Chief Minister. However, the Governor is not free to appoint anyone as the Chief Minister of a State or a Union Territory.
 The Chief Minister must be:
1. A Citizen of India
2. An individual should be 25 years of age or more.
3. He should be a member of the state legislature, if not then he needs to get a signature from the Governor.
The Chief Minister advises the Governor to appoint other ministers. Under Article 167 of the Indian Constitution, the Chief Minister acts as a linkage between the Governor and State council of ministers. The Chief Ministers needs to communicate all the decisions taken by the council of ministers concerning the administration of the states. He also advises the Governor in the matters relating to the appointment of important officials like Attorney General, State Election Commission, State Public Service Commission etc. The Chief Minister also acts as the crisis manager in the state.

The correct answer is option (C) as the Governor is the de jure head of the state who appoints the Chief Minister of a State.

Note:The Chief Minister is considered to be the chairman of the State Planning Board, member of National Development Council and also the Chief Spokesperson of the State Government.