New Delhi: In a significant reshuffle, the Union government on Thursday (March 5) made a series of appointments and transfers involving several governors across the country, and the Lieutenant Governors of Delhi and Ladakh.

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has been transferred and appointed as the Governor of West Bengal. The resignation of Governor C.V. Ananda Bose immediately drew a reaction from the Trinamool Congress leader and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She said the Union government had failed to follow the usual norms in making the change.

The Supreme Court had in 2025 criticised Ravi's decision to withhold assent to ten Bills in Tamil Nadu. Calling it “illegal” and “arbitrary” the court ruled that the Bills sought by the DMK government would be deemed approved.

The reshuffle comes amid political reactions ranging from surprise to amazement from the opposition. Some have pointed to the timing, since West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, among the states with new governors, head for assembly polls this year. While Delhi, Ladakh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh have elections next year or later, some of these states had frequent disputes and conflicts with governors.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the appointment of Ravi to West Bengal, pointing to the governor's previous controversies. He said Ravi had earlier been moved from Nagaland due to concerns over his style of functioning and had subsequently faced criticism during his tenure in Tamil Nadu. He also said in a post on X:

For now, it is being reported that Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the Governor of Kerala, will discharge the functions of the Governor of Tamil Nadu, since Governor Ravi will move to Kolkata. His tenure, too, was not free of controversy.

Also read: Kerala Governor Comes Under Fire For Remarks Against Supreme Court's R.N. Ravi Verdict

In another significant change, former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been appointed the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. The incumbent, Vinai Kumar Saxena, has been moved to Ladakh as the Lieutenant Governor.

As L-G, Saxena had multiple run-ins with the government led by ex-chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party. Kejriwal was recently exonerated in the liquor 'scam' case, pursued against him by the CBI on recommendation by L-G Saxena. Saxena had said he has a "zero-tolerance policy" towards corruption. While acquitting Kejriwal and several others, a Delhi court called the excise policy case made-up and false.

Additionally, Kavinder Gupta, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has been appointed as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh. Governor Gupta resigned on March 5, only nine months into his tenure as L-G.

Jishnu Dev Varma, who was serving as Governor of Telangana, has been appointed Governor of Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Shiv Pratap Shukla, the current Governor of Himachal Pradesh, has been transferred and appointed as the Governor of Telangana. Shukla, too, had disagreements with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu's Congress government, over university vice-chancellor appointments and legislative business.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nand Kishore Yadav has been appointed the new Governor of Nagaland. The Union government has also appointed Lt. General (Retired) Syed Ata Hasnain as the Governor of Bihar, where the governor was Arif Mohammad Khan. While Khan's tenure in Kerala was marked by frequent clashes with the Left government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in Bihar his time was free of public confrontations.

The government has not officially commented on the appointments or reactions to them.

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