The Union Government may appoint ‘some Governors’ soon but ‘a major overhaul’ of ‘Raj Bhawans’ will take place after the month-long Budget Session that commences on July 7.
The ruling BJP is still in the initial process of consultations to appoint new Governors in place of those who have quit or whose tenure has ended after the Narendra Modi-led Government took over the Centre’s reins on May 26.
“The list of candidates is long and finalisation of all the names may take time until the conclusion of the Budget Session,” sources said even while maintaining that a few names, however, could be announced soon.
Union Transport Minister and former BJP president Nitin Gadkari met Union Home Minister and BJP president Rajnath Singh on Tuesday and is understood to have held consultations on the issue.
The probable names of party veterans may include those past 75 years of age who did not contest the lok Sabha polls. There could be as many as 10 new appointments as Governors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers including Rajnath, Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, other Ministers and BJP leaders are expected to meet over dinner on Wednesday when informal consultations may also take place on the issue.
West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan resigned on Monday, joining the list of Congress appointees who have been sounded by the new Government to make way for new appointments.
Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumar, Uttar Pradesh Governor Bl Joshi and Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt — all former bureaucrats — have already put in their papers. Goa Governor BV Wanchoo may also follow suit. Thus far no Governor with political background has quit his post.
Asked if a former bureaucrat or a politician could be a Governor of West Bengal, sources in the BJP said the Centre believes in ‘cooperative federalism’ and a new appointee to the State ‘would be selected in due consultations with the State’ as was done in the NDA regime in 1999 when Industrialist-turned-politician Viren Shah was appointed as the State Governor during the left-front headed dispensation in Kolkata.
Sources confirmed that former BJP president MM Joshi was not inclined to accept any gubernatorial assignment.