Of six gubernatorial picks, Lalji Tandon moved to MP, Phagu Chauhan gets Bihar, RN Ravi Nagaland, Ramesh Bais Tripura
Continuing with its phase-wise reshuffle of Governors, the Modi Government on Saturday appointed new Governors in six States, including politically volatile West Bengal where former MP and noted Supreme Court lawyer Jagdeep Dhankhar has been named for the post. He replaces Keshari Nath Tripathi, whose term comes to an end later next week.
Former interlocutor on Naga talks RN Ravi has been appointed as Nagaland Governor, while Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel is now Uttar Pradesh Governor. Veteran BJP leader and Bihar Governor Lalji Tandon replaces Patel, who will be succeeded by Phagu Chauhan, a former four-term MLA from Ghosi. Tandon was appointed Bihar Governor in August last year.
BJP veteran from Chhattisgarh Ramesh Bais, who was denied a party ticket this year, has been appointed as the Tripura Governor in place of Kaptan Singh Solanki, whose term comes to an end on July 27.
Dhankhar (68), who was Union Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs in 1990-91, quit the Congress in 2003 and became a member of the BJP.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed the appointment of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Governor.
She said Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed her about Dhankhar’s appointment.
“I welcome Jagdip Dhankhar (sic) who has been appointed as the new Governor of Bengal. I just now came to know from media about this. I welcome him to our beautiful State,” Mamata wrote on her Twitter handle.
“Hon’ble Home Minister just now talked to me about appointment of new Governor of West Bengal. I informed him that I have already welcomed the new Governor,” the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo added.
Retired Intelligence Bureau special director N Ravi, a 1976-batch IPS officer, has worked closely with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and broadly worked on a treaty with dominant Naga group NSCN-IM to reach an agreement with the Government.
The details of the agreement have not been made public since 2015.
Recently, the Government had appointed senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra as Himachal Pradesh Governor replacing Devrat Acharya, who was made Governor of Himachal Pradesh in 2015. He replaced Gujarat Governor OP Kohli.
