Retired Supreme Court Justice, two Army officers, and the governors of 12 states and one territory of the Union.
President Droupadi Murmu The nomination of governors for a twelve states and one Union Territory was announced on Sunday; among the 13 are a retired Supreme Court judge, two retired Army officers, and four BJP politicians. She also accepted the resignations of the governors of Maharashtra and Ladakh, Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Radha Krishnan Mathur, respectively.
Justice (retired) S Abdul Nazeer, who was a member of the Supreme Court bench that rendered the 2019 Ayodhya verdict and who retired in January of this year, has been appointed Governor of Andhra Pradesh. He was also a member of the five-judge panel in the ‘triple talaq’ case, but he and the then-Chief Justice of India, J.S. Khehar, rendered a minority opinion.
Following the recommendations of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, governors were appointed. Six of the thirteen governors named on Sunday are new, while seven others have been transferred from one state or the UT to another.
Lieutenant General Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik (retired), according to a statement made by the President’s House, will be the new Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. Lakshman Prasad Acharya was named Governor of Sikkim, C P Radhakrishnan was appointed Governor of Jharkhand, Shiv Pratap Shukla was appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh, and Gulab Chand Kataria was appointed Governor of Assam.
Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan is now the Governor of Chhattisgarh; Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey is now the Governor of Manipur; Manipur Governor La Ganesan is now the Governor of Nagaland; Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan is now the Governor of Meghalaya; Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is now the Governor of Bihar; Jhar
“The aforementioned appointments shall take effect on the dates they assume their respective posts,” stated the announcement.
While Mishra was Brigade Commander in Jaffna, Lt Gen Parnaik commanded the Army’s famous Northern Command, and it was during his time that Pakistani forces disfigured the bodies of two Indian soldiers in the Poonch region in 2013.
During his tenure in Maharashtra, which began in September 2019, Koshyari has frequently been the target of opposition fire. The most recent issue involving him, which caused opposition parties to call for his dismissal, stemmed from a statement made two months earlier comparing Maratha king Shivaji to other historical figures.
In January, he stated that he had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his intention to resign. In the midst of political upheaval caused by Shiv Sena’s severance of links with the BJP, he assumed office more than three years ago. He stated that his position had only brought him misery. On January 7, he told a delegation of Jain spiritual leaders, “As Governor, I never experienced bliss. Unhappiness was my only companion. Yet, meeting spiritual leaders boosts my spirit and provides me calm.”
Additionally, four BJP politicians, including two from Uttar Pradesh – Lakshmi Prasad Acharya, C.P. Radhakrishnan, Shiv Pratap Shukla, and Gulab Chand Kataria – have been selected as new governors. In the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, Acharya represents the Varanasi Division Graduates Constituency.
According to insiders, a couple of decisions may have been made with upcoming Assembly elections in mind. The selection of some of the new governors may be indicative of the BJP’s efforts to put its house in right in some states.
Gulab Chand Kataria, the next governor of Assam, is now the leader of the opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly. He was considered one of the candidates for chief minister in the state, where elections are scheduled for later this year.
Kataria’s promotion to the gubernatorial seat may alleviate pressure on the national leadership, which is attempting to resolve the factional feud in the Rajasthan unit and present a united front prior to elections. According to reports, the decision might also alter the power dynamics within the state government.
Meghalaya and Nagaland are scheduled to vote in Assembly elections on February 27. According to BJP sources, the party desired experienced candidates for the Raj Bhavan. Both states have a history of political instability and frequent political realignments, and governors may play a significant role in the post-election scenario. While Phagu Chouhan, the present Governor of Bihar, has been transferred to Meghalaya, La Ganesan, a former Governor of Manipur and interim Governor of West Bengal, has been appointed Governor of Nagaland.
C P Radhakrishnan’s departure from the Tamil Nadu chapter of the Bharatiya Janata Party could strengthen the status of state president K Annamalai. Radhakrishnan, according to party sources, had “differences” with the state president and “reservations” about his style of operation. “The BJP leadership is highly pleased with Annamalai’s performance and leadership of the state organisation. Annamalai’s appointment as co-in-charge for the Karnataka election is an evidence of this fact. Radhakrishnan, a devoted and faithful party worker, has been appeased, according to a party leader familiar with the situation.
Radhakrishnan won the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat twice, in 1998 and 1999, and was instrumental in establishing the state party organisation. He was also the head of the state unit and was responsible for Kerala for the BJP. Party circles have speculated that the BJP leadership may nominate Annamalai from Coimbatore.
The choice of former Union Minister Shiv Pratap Shukla as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh was as predicted, according to party sources. A leader from Uttar Pradesh stated, “It might be a reward for his loyalty and dedication to the party and its beliefs.” Shukla has extensive experience in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The transfer of Ramesh Bais from the Raj Bhavan in Jharkhand to Maharashtra was another noteworthy action. Bais, who had a stellar election record, won the Chhattisgarh constituency of Raipur seven times. Chief Minister Hemant Soren was at the centre of the political drama that erupted in Jharkhand when the Election Commission (EC) submitted its opinion in an office-of-profit case involving him.
Bais, who was perceived to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drew criticism from opposition parties for his disagreements with the Soren administration. When he sat on the EC recommendations, he was criticised for “buying time” for the BJP to separate MLAs from Soren’s JMM and the Congress.
Anusuya Uikey has since been transferred from Chhattisgarh to Manipur. According to sources, the state BJP lodged “complaints” against the Raj Bhavan. Uikey, a member of the Adivasi community, has served as the governor of Chhattisgarh since 2019, and she was considered a potential candidate for Rashtrapati Bhavan in the run-up to the 2018 presidential election.
Despite rumours that former Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh will be appointed Governor, his name was not on the list. Singh, whose Punjab Lok Congress united with the BJP to “fight for Punjab,” will be awarded a constitutional office or a seat in the Rajya Sabha, according to BJP officials. Singh had rebuffed rumours that he will succeed Koshiyari as Maharashtra’s governor.
