Gubernatorial changes on the anvil in Seven states
With Presidential & Vice President elections and Independence Day celebrations over, the stage is set for gubernatorial changes. There is talk of a Cabinet reshuffle too but it may still take some more time for the party as to fix nuts & bolts in many states. An exercise is already afoot for gubernatorial changes as tenure of five Governors and two Lieutenant Governors is coming to an end soon. As a matter of policy, the PM prefers to appoint senior politicians as governors and retired civil servants as Lgs. Lately, talent from the private sector has also been brought in Delhi as LG in V K Saxena. The name of former Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is among the names under consideration.
Topping the list of Governors on the way out is Satyapal Malik who is currently in Meghalaya. It’s a different matter that ever since he was shunted to Meghalaya from Goa, he has made Meghalaya Bhawan in Delhi as his abode and refused to go to Imphal except on a few occasions. He was appointed Bihar Governor in October, 2017, sent to J&K and finally landed in Meghalaya. He is perhaps the only sitting Governor in the history of Independent India who spoke publicly against the Central government for months together. The PM did not sack him and is waiting for his five year tenure to come to an end. The tenure of B D Mishra (Arunachal Pradesh), Jagdish Mukhi Assam & Nagaland) and Puducherry in dual charge under Tamilsai Sundarrajan & Lt. Gen. D K Joshi (A &NI) is coming to an end. Banwarilal Purohit was made governor of Tamil Nadu in October, 2017 and shifted to Punjab. He may be allowed to continue, sources say.
