Kalyan Singh, Vajubhai Vala, Mridula Sinha, Vidyasagar Rao named Governors of Raj, K’taka, Goa and Maha respectively
Sheila Dikshit announced her resignation as Kerala Governor on Tuesday, a day after asking the media to keep speculating about any such move. Her successor has not been named yet, but the Government has filled up the other four existing gubernatorial vacancies.
With Dikshit’s resignation, she became the eighth Governor to have resigned since the formation of the Narendra Modi Government. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh (82) has been appointed as Rajasthan Governor, while Gujarat Speaker Vajubhai Vala has been given the charge of Karnataka Raj Bhavan.
Former BJP Mahila Morcha president Mridula Sinha is the new Goa Governor, while former Union Minister C Vidyasagar Rao will be the new Maharashtra Governor. Dikshit (76) said she submitted her resignation to President Pranab Mukherjee soon after meeting him and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday.
The President’s Secretariat has sent her resignation to the Union Home Ministry for necessary action, official sources said. “I had resigned yesterday and won’t comment further,” she said. Dikshit said she will speak on the issue only after getting an official word on the acceptance of her resignation. According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué, Kalyan Singh (82) will take charge after the vacancy caused by the retirement of Margaret Alva earlier this month.
Mridula Sinha (71) was appointed as Goa Governor in place of BV Wanchoo, who was among those who was asked to quit after the change of guard at the Centre. Sinha, a noted Hindi writer, has authored a dozen books including “Ek thi rani aisi bhi”, a book dedicated to Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia. Vala (76) is an old trusted aide of Modi who had served in his Government as the Finance Minister before he was elected as Speaker of Gujarat Vidhan Sabha in January last year.
Rao, who had served as Minister of State for Home in the Vajpayee Government, hails from Telengana. A lawyer by profession, Rao (69) was elected to Andhra Pradesh legislative Assembly three times and was the leader of the BJP in the Assembly.