New Delhi: A major change in India’s state governorships has been observed with many political changes in which Raghubar Das, the Governor of Odisha, is bidding adieu to his designation. Das, a veteran BJP leader from Jharkhand and former Chief Minister there, resigned, and this has been acceded to by President Droupadi Murmu. Together with this reshuffle, there appeared new governors; most of the actual and potential contenders for the leadership positions are bureaucrats or political veterans appointed to the governor’s post in the region or the country.
Joining the list of Governors is Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a civil servant from the Indian administrative service batch of 1984 and the former Union Home Secretary. Bhalla was India’s home secretary for five years, from 22 August 2019 to 22 August 2024, and will be bringing his copious bureaucratic experience to the politically charged state of Manipur.
Current political stalwart and veteran politician, Arif Mohammad Khan, has been appointed as the governor of Bihar. Khan was born on 18 November 1951 at Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. He also worked as the governor of Kerala from 2019. Born and educated in Uttar Pradesh, Khan holds a degree from both the Aligarh Muslim University and Lucknow University; he initially gained wider fame for his front-footed opposition of the Shah Bano case as well as his resignation from his ministerial post during the period of Gandhi’s leadership. He too has been extremely critical of the Muslim Personal Law Board. Khan is a veteran politician who was the MP in the Kanpur constituency in 1980 and also was the MP for Bahraich for the 8th, 9th, and 12th Lok Sabha.
Ex-Army Chief and General retd. VK Singh has been made the Mizoram Governor. Singh had a very credible reputation as a soldier of 42 years standing, having fought in the 1971 Liberation of Bangladesh and operation against the LTTE in Sri Lanka as a member of the Indian Peacekeeping Force in 1987. After being a Union Minister, Singh brings into his new position executive experience in both war and in the government.
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who joined Bihar as its governor in February 2023, has once again been vested with responsibilities in charge of governorship for the State of Kerala. Born and bred in the RSS, Arlekar became a member of the BJP in 1989, which he had been a part of previously as a cabinet minister and later as the speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly. He has also served as the governor of Himachal Pradesh before his transfer to Bihar. At the same time, the former Governor of Mizoram, Haribabu Kambhampati, will become the new Governor of Odisha.
This reorganisation process has been given historical significance in Indian political-administrative nexuses as new posts have been assigned to several experienced leaders/bureaucrats. The appointments suggest ways that the government may be seeking to consolidate influence over key states by rewarding loyal and obviously capable leaders.
Politics lovers will keenly observe that these newly appointed governors will handle their activities, particularly in the following complex political region: Manipur and Mizoram. The leadership realignments occur at a time when there is so much focus on India’s federal system and the relations between the state and centre.