Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor resigned from the post on Tuesday, a day after he was nominated as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. The resignation of Mansoor, 66, who hails from Aligarh, came weeks before his tenure was to end in May. 

Mansoor, who became the AMU vice-chancellor in 2017, has been associated with the university for several decades.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Gulrez will officiate as the VC till Mansoor’s successor is appointed, a notification issued by AMU Registrar Mohammad Imran said.

According to a notification issued by the state government on Monday night, Mansoor is among six people nominated by Governor Anandiben Patel as MLCs against eight vacancies. In an open letter to the university students and staff on Monday, Mansoor said, “As I demit office, this is the last time I address you as the Vice-Chancellor. I had the opportunity of serving the institution for six years during good and challenging times.”

He thanked the AMU community for standing by him during this time, especially in facing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Having studied, taught, served and led the university for so many memorable years, I am filled with emotions which will forever remain an integral part of me,” said Mansoor, who graduated in medicine from AMU and later joined Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College as a teacher.

“As the country enters the path of ‘New India’ and is poised to play a central role in world affairs, I am confident that AMU will continue to play a prominent role in the task of nation-building,” he said.

He took charge as the AMU VC on May 17, 2017, for a period of five years and his term was to end in May 2022. However, amid exceptional circumstances prevailing in the wake of the pandemic, the Centre extended his tenure by a year.

Senior AMU officials said the procedure for selecting the next vice-chancellor “has not even begun”.

Mansoor’s departure could mark a period of “uncertainty” since under normal circumstances, the incumbent vice-chancellor presides over the process of selecting his successor.

The other nominated to the UP Legislative Council are Saket Misra, Lalji Prasad Nirmal, Rajnikant Maheshwari,  Hansraj Vishwakarma, and Ramsurat Rajbhar.

Saket Misra, son of former Principal Secretary to Prime minister, Nripendra Mishra. Saket Mishra is an investment banker and an adviser in Purvanchal Vikas Board in Uttar Pradesh.

An alumnus of IIM-Calcutta, Mishra is said to have been actively involved with the BJP in Shravasti in east UP for the past 4-5 years.

Another nominated candidate is Lalji Prasad Nirmal, who is a prominent Dalit leader, social worker and president of Ambedkar Mahasabha Trust. He is also the chairman of UP Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation.

Rajnikant Maheshwari belongs to Kasganj district and served as president of BJP’s Braj regional unit for two terms. Last week, he was replaced by Dhruvvijay Singh Shakya.

Hansraj Vishwakarma, an OBC leader, is the president of BJP’s Varanasi district unit. He participated in the Ram temple movement. Ramsurat Rajbhar is also an OBC leader, who lost the Assembly election from Phoolpur-Pawai in Azamgarh district last year.