Seventy-nine-year-old Om Prakash Kohli sworn-in as 24th Governor of Gujarat on Wednesday, in presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, Speaker of Gujarat Assembly Vajubhai Vala and other dignitaries in Gandhinagar. Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Bhasker Bhattacharya administered the oath.
Apart from close family members of the new Governor who has taken over from in-charge Governor Margaret Alva (Rajasthan Governor), Gujarat’s Council of Ministers, MlAs, office-bearers of Board & Corporations and other important functionaries were present on the occasion. Gujarat’s Chief Secretary Dr Varesh Sinha read ‘Warrant of Appointment’ issued by the President of India.
Kohli has appointed in place of former Gujarat Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal who had frosty relations with Narendra Modi when he was Chief Minister of the State. Beniwal has been transferred to Mizoram in a reshuffle of Governors effected by the Centre on July 6. Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva was appointed as the additional Governor of Gujarat on July 7.
Kohli was a Rajya Sabha member from 1994 to 2000. A former Chief of BJP’s Delhi unit in 2009, Kohli has been associated with BJP since his student days and was made the president of party’s student wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — and later became Chief of Delhi University Teacher Association.