9 states get new governors in one night; who're they
What's the story
President Droupadi Murmu late Thursday night announced a major reshuffle of governors across several states and Union Territories. The changes come ahead of the assembly elections in several states, including West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu. As per the notification, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi will replace CV Ananda Bose as the West Bengal Governor. Bose had resigned abruptly on Thursday, citing "personal reasons."
New appointees
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) appointed Bihar Governor
Apart from Ravi's appointment in West Bengal, the reshuffle also saw Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) being appointed as the new Bihar Governor, replacing Arif Mohammed Khan. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, a retired diplomat and former Ambassador to the US, was appointed as the new Lt Governor of Delhi. He replaces Vinai Kumar Saxena, who has been appointed as Lt. Governor of Ladakh.
State changes
Other key appointments in the reshuffle
The reshuffle also affected other states and Union Territories. Ladakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta will now be the Governor of Himachal Pradesh. Shiv Pratap Shukla will move from Himachal Pradesh to Telangana, replacing Jishnu Dev Varma in Telangana, while Varma has been appointed Governor of Maharashtra. Nand Kishore Yadav was appointed Governor of Nagaland, which was under the additional charge of Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
Interim administration
To fill vacancies in Maharashtra, Nagaland: BJP sources
With Ravi moving to West Bengal, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will temporarily administer Tamil Nadu. The Rashtrapati Bhavan communique stated that these appointments will take effect from the dates the individuals assume charge of their respective offices. The new appointments were announced shortly after Bose said he was stepping down. The Indian Express, citing BJP insiders, said the overhaul was part of a nationwide exercise that also may involve a reshuffling of the Union Cabinet.