Chief Minister and the State Council of Ministers

• The Chief Minister (CM) is the real executive head of the Government at the State level.
• The position of Chief Minister at the State level is analogous to the position of the Prime Minister at the Center.
• Chief Ministers are appointed by the Governor of the State. Other Ministers in the State Council are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister.

Powers and Functions of Governor of State

The Governor enjoys many different types of powers:

• Executive powers related to administration, appointments and removals,
• Legislative powers related to lawmaking and the state legislature, that is Vidhan Sabha or Vidhan Parishad,
• Discretionary powers to be carried out according to the discretion of the Governor.

The Governor and Lieutenant-Governor

• The Governors and Lieutenant-Governors of the states and territories of India have similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the President of India at Union level.
• Governors exist in the states while Lieutenant-Governors exist in union territories and in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Special Powers of Rajya Sabha

• According to Article 249, the Parliament will be able to make law in relation to a subject in the State List if the Rajya Sabha, with the support of at least two-thirds of its members present and voting, adopts a proposal to the effect that the Parliament, in national interest, should make law in relation to that subject in the State List.

Special powers of the Lok Sabha

• The Money and the Financial Bills can only originate in the Lok Sabha.
• In case of a Money Bill, the Rajya Sabha has only the right to make recommendations and the Lok Sabha may or may not accept the recommendation. Also, a Money Bill must be passed by the Upper House within a period of 14 days. Otherwise, the Bill shall be automatically deemed to be passed by the House. Thus, the Lok Sabha enjoys exclusive legislative jurisdiction over the passage of the Money Bills.

Leader of the Opposition

• Each House of the Parliament of India has a Leader of the Opposition. While the position also existed in the former Central Legislative Assembly of British India, and holders of it there included Motilal Nehru, it got statutory recognition through the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977.