Chief Minister
Topic: State Government: Governor, Chief Minister, State Legislature and Union Territories · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 10 "Grassroots Democracy – Part 1: Governance"; Class 7, Ch 6 "The State, the Government, and You"; Class 8, Ch 6 "The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive"; Class 11, Ch 4 "Executive"
Meaning
The Chief Minister (CM) is the real head of a state government. Under Article 164, the Governor appoints as CM the leader who has the support of a majority in the Legislative Assembly. The CM leads the council of ministers, the team of ministers that runs the state. The council is collectively responsible to the Assembly, so it falls if it loses the House's support. Under Article 167, the CM must tell the Governor about cabinet decisions.
Example
A person who is not a member of the legislature can become CM but must win a seat within six months. In S.R. Chaudhuri (2001), the Supreme Court held that such a person cannot simply be reappointed in the same term without winning an election. In states such as UP, Bihar and Maharashtra, a CM may come from the Legislative Council.
Don't confuse with
- Governor: The Governor is the nominal (formal) head of the state and is appointed by the President. The CM is the real head and answers to the Assembly.