West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose’s renaming of Raj Bhavan as Lok Bhavan has triggered a fresh political debate over the relevance of the gubernatorial system decades after Independence.
Bose and the BJP defended the move, insisting that ‘Rajtantra’ (monarchy) no longer exists in India and power belongs to the people in ‘Loktantra’ (democracy).
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification on November 25 directing that Raj Niwases, residences of lieutenant governors in Union Territories, and Raj Bhavans nationwide be renamed Lok Niwases and Lok Bhavans.
On Saturday, Bose officially renamed the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, built between 1799 and 1803 during British rule, as Lok Bhavan. Marble plaques bearing the old name were removed and replaced with new ones reflecting the change.
Opposition parties slammed the move and questioned the logic behind it, suggesting that if the house is now for the people, the Governor should also be elected.
Senior Congress leader and former MP Pradip Bhattacharjee said the Raj Bhavan and the Rajyapal (Governor) are inseparable.
“The pertinent question is if the Raj Bhavan is Lok Bhavan, meaning the People's Bhavan, then why shouldn't the Governor be an elected one, like the President. The Governor, or if he is now called the Loknayak, should be elected through voting by members of the state assembly,” he said.
“This is a peculiar move, and it is quite unfortunate that the central government seems to have a low IQ,” the former state Congress president added.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh questioned the timing of the decision, just months before assembly elections.
"Raj Bhavan is now People's Bhavan. Why has this initiative been launched first in West Bengal, when the notification was meant for the whole country? Is this being done with the 2026 elections in mind? Does the Governor intend to run a parallel administration?" Ghosh asked.
Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty dismissed the renaming as “advertisement”.
"There is no logic in keeping the Raj Bhavan now. The Raj Bhavan works as an agency of the central government. It's like keeping a white elephant. The question is, why not rename the Rajyapal as 'Lokpal'? The name change is nothing but an attempt to remain in the news," Chakraborty said.
Bose defended the move, citing democratic principles.
"In a democracy, people are supreme, and no political party is above the people. The people of the state welcomed the development. The politics of Bengal should not go against the will of the people of Bengal," he said.
The governor added that the initiative began in Bengal two years ago, when President Droupadi Murmu handed over the symbolic key of 'Jan Raj Bhavan' to CM Mamata Banerjee at his request. He claimed the step has since become a "national model".
Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha justified the change.
"This is an appropriate move, and we should all welcome it. Raj Bhavan should be the people's house and not that of the kings," said Sinha, a former state BJP president.
