Maharashtra Gets New Governor After BS Koshyari’s Resignation

Maharashtra was among 12 states to get a new Governor as President Droupadi Murmu made crucial Constitutional appointments this morning. The President also appointed a new Lieutenant Governor for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The most politically significant of these appointments was Ramesh Bais, former Jharkhand governor, replacing Bhagat Singh Koshyari as Maharashtra Governor. Mr Koshyari had last month told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he wished to step down from the top post.

“Governor Koshyari has expressed his desire to spend the rest of his life in reading, writing and other leisurely activities,” read a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan.

Mr Koshyari, an RSS veteran who has served as a former Chief Minister and an MP in both Houses of Parliament, was appointed Governor in 2019. During his tenure, he frequently hit headlines over his multiple run-ins with the Uddhav Thackeray government and his controversial statements.

In fact, soon after his appointment, he sparked a row by presiding over an early morning oath ceremony for Devendra Fadnavis even before Mr Thackeray and the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP could stake claim to form government.

Thereafter, the Uddhav Thackeray-led government and the Raj Bhavan clashed on several issues, including the reopening of temples after the Covid pandemic, refusal of a state plane for Mr Koshyari’s visit to Dehradun and a special Assembly session following the rape and murder of a woman in Mumbai’s Sakinaka.

Mr Koshyari sparked a row in November last year when he said Chhattrapati Shivaji was “an icon of the old days”. Top BJP leaders had to jump into the firefight as the political opposition accused the Governor of insulting the Maratha leader.

Prior to that, he courted controversy when he said Maharashtra will have no money left if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis leave.