New Delhi: Four Governors were appointed today by Narendra Modi government and two others selected by the previous UPA dispensation were transferred including Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma who has been shifted to Mizoram for remainder of his term.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan comminuque said that Governor of Jharkhand Syed Ahmed, who was appointed in September 2011, has been shifted to Manipur for remainder of his term that ends in September next year.
BJP leader from Odhisa Draupadi Murmu, 56, has been appointed as new Governor of Jharkhand. She has been an active member of BJP and contested many elections. She was an MLA from Rairangpur assembly constituency in the year 2000.
Lt General (Retd.) Sharma, who was serving as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh since May 2013, has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram for the remainder of his term which ends in 2018. Mizoram has gained the notoriety of being the dumping ground for Governors who have been appointed during UPA rule. Sharma is the eighth Governor to be appointed in last one year.
Mizoram saw sacking of two Governors—Kamla Beniwal, who was the Gujarat Governor when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister, and Aziz Qureshi who has dragged NDA government to court for sacking of Governors.
It all began when V Purushothaman resigned after being transferred to neighbouring Nagaland, saying he was not consulted. Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan also refused to take over after being shifted to Mizoram. Former Union Home Secretary V K Duggal also exited and after him former Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul was given the additional charge of Mizoram along with Meghalaya till his transfer to Uttarakhand to replace Aziz Qureshi who was sacked on March 28.
West Bengal Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi was at present holding additional charge of the state.
Among other gubernatorial appointments, senior BJP leader from West Bengal Tathagata Roy has been appointed as Governor of Tripura.
68-year-old Roy is a member of BJP National Executive. He had unsuccessfully contested from Kolkata Dakshin Lok Sabha constituency in 2014.
Former Chief Secretary of Assam J P Rakkhowa was appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. A 1968-batch IAS officer, he has been actively involved in issues related to Northeast after his retirement.
Noted Sangh leader V Shanmuganthan has been appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya.
