NEW DELHI: Ending speculation, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday cleared gubernatorial appointments for Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh was appointed Governor of Rajasthan while Gujarat Speaker Vajubhai Vala was transferred to Karnataka. Former Union minister C Vidyasagar Rao and Mridula Sinha were appointed to the Maharashtra and Goa Raj Bhavans respectively.
Vala, 76, had served as a minister in Gujarat before assuming the Speaker’s post there. The Karnataka Raj Bhavan position had been vacant since H R Bhardwaj completed his tenure on June 28. Vidyasagar, 72, will replace K Sankaranarayanan who quit after being transferred to Mizoram. He was a Minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA-I Government.
A lawyer, Vidyasagar started his political career with the Jansangh in 1972 and entered Andhra Pradesh politics in 1985. He was also the BJP state president in 1998 and won from the Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency in the 1998 and 1999 elections.
Mridula, 72, will replace B V Wanchoo, who was asked to quit by the NDA Government last month. She had earlier served as BJP Mahila Morcha president.
Following the latest appointments, the NDA Government has appointed 10 Governors after assuming power in May.
THOSE WHO Resigned BEFORE DIKSHIT
K Sankaranarayanan: An 82-year old Congress veteran, he was appointed the Governor of Maharashtra in 2010. The President granted him a fresh term in 2012. Appointed by the previous UPA regime, Sankaranarayanan was transferred to Mizoram by the Modi Government. Consequently, he decided to quit from his position.
M K NARAYANan: A former National Security Advisor (2005-2010), Narayanan became the 24th Governor of West Bengal on January, 2010. He resigned from his post on 30th June, 2014, a little over a month after the NDA Government came to power.
ASHWANI KUMAR: He became the Governor of Nagaland on March, 2013 and resigned from his post in June this year. Before that, he has served as the DGP of Himachal Pradesh. Quite significantly, Kumar was also the CBI Director, from 2008-2010 and was known to have a good rapport with Priyanka Gandhi.
SHEKHAR DUTT: A former Defence Secretary (2005), Dutt held several important bureaucratic positions as well. He became the Governor of Chhattisgarh in January 2010 and resigned from his position on June 19, 2014.
B L JOSHI: He began his career in state police and moved to the Centre in 1962. After being associated with several ministries, Joshi took voluntary retirement from IPS in 1991 and became a social worker. He became UP Governor in July 2009 and stepped down on June 17, 2014.
VIRENDRA KATARIA: Kataria, who was the former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, had to relinquish his office last month. A former Congress leader, he represented Punjab in the Rajya Sabha from 1992 to 1998.
KAMLA BENIWAL: A Congress veteran, Beniwal becoame Governor of Tripura in 2009. Then she was appointed Governor of Gujarat where she has often at loggerheads with then CM Narendra Modi, particularly over Lokayukta appointment in Gujarat. After Modi became the PM in May, she was transferred to Mizoram. Later, she was removed on August 6 on charges of graft.