CHENNAI: After a gap of 13 months, Tamil Nadu has got a full-time Governor with the appointment of Banwarilal Purohit (77), the present Governor of Assam and acting Governor of Meghalaya. Purohit is likely to assume office within a few days.
Ch Vidyasagar Rao took charge as acting Governor of the State on Sept 2 last year after the five-year term of the then Governor K Rosaiah came to an end. Just after news about the appointment of a full-time Governor was out, leaders of opposition parties, including DMK working president M K Stalin, urged Purohit to act in an impartial manner according to the Constitution.
Purohit’s appointment came at a time when the State is facing a disturbed political situation. The hearing on the case of disqualification of 18 AIADMK MLAs is scheduled in the Madras High Court for October 4 and the hearing on the privilege issue concerning 21 DMK MLAs is set for October 12. Once the court verdict is out, the role of the Governor becomes important as the opposition parties have been saying that the ‘Edappadi’ K Palaniswami government has lost its majority in the State Assembly.
Born on April 16, 1940 in Vidharba region, Purohit studied at Bishop Cotton School and in Rajasthan. He obtained a commerce degree from Nagpur University. He was elected from the Nagpur East Assembly segment in 1978 and from Nagpur South constituency in 1980. In 1982, Purohit served as Minister of State for Urban Development, Slum Improvement and Housing.
Purohit had represented the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency thrice - 1984, 1989 and 1996. He actively supported Ramjanmabhoomi movement defying the party line as Member of Parliament belonging to Congress in the late 1980s and participated in kar seva at Ayodhya in 1992. Purohit switched between Congress and BJP and was criticised for that.
A media baron, Purohit bought and revived the English daily, The Hitavada, founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale. He has been associated with many social, charitable, religious and sports organisations and had served as a member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Home Affairs, a member of the Standing Committee on Defence, and a member of the Public Sector Undertaking Committee.
Purohit was appointed as Governor of Assam on Aug 17, 2016. Later, when then Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan resigned over allegations against him, Purohit was appointed as acting Governor of that State as well.
Other new Governors
Assam
Jagdish Mukhi
Arunachal Pradesh
Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retired)
Bihar
Satya Pal Malik
Meghalaya
Ganga Prasad
Andaman & Nicobar (Lt Governor)
Admiral Devendra Kumar JoshiP11
EPS calls up, greets Purohit
Chief Minister ‘Edappadi’ K Palaniswami on Saturday greeted newly-appointed full-time Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit. Palaniswami spoke to him over the telephone and conveyed his greetings