India, Aug. 4 -- The constitutional language is unequivocal. It does not confer discretion upon the executive or the Governor. It prescribes a mandatory constitutional consequence. A minister who has not become a member of the legislature within six consecutive months must cease to hold office.

Constitutions are not merely legal texts; they are instruments of democratic restraint. Their enduring strength lies not only in the powers they confer but also in the limitations they impose. In a parliamentary democracy, executive authority is legitimate only when it remains accountable to the legislature, which in turn represents the will of the people. It is this constitutional philosophy that underpins Article 164 of the Constitution of India...