To avoid governor's address, Kerala decides not to prorogue House

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala cabinet decided Wednesday to convene the assembly budget session in January as a continuation of the seventh session that ended temporarily the day before without informing the governor, who is at loggerheads with the government on an array of issues, including hiring in universities and personal staff of ministers.
It is learnt that the cabinet decided not to inform governor Arif Mohammed Khan about the prorogation because if a notification is issued and shared with him, the next session will be considered fresh. The first session of a new year should begin with the governor's policy address, and the government's move is seen as an attempt to avoid that.
However, the consequent session will have to begin with the governor's speech, which means the government can only buy more time through the current move without having to create a situation.
The seventh session had convened for seven days from December 5 and passed bills to remove the governor as chancellor of universities in the state - seen again as a tit-for-tat reaction to Khan recently show-causing and sacking several vice-chancellors.
The cabinet entrusted additional chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan to compile data required for the governor's address. It is learnt the move is to keep it ready in case any legal complications arise.