Ajay Bhalla Appointed As Manipur Governor, Arif Mohammed Khan Moves To Bihar
The President of India accepted the resignation of Raghubar Das as Governor of Odisha and also made several new appointments around the country on Tuesday. The changes include important replacement at the helm of multiple states and reflect the government’s strategy priorities and administrative adjustments.
One of the most important changes is the appointment of Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the Governor of Bihar, as the new Governor of Kerala. Arlekar’s changeover is considered part of a larger political shift, with his predecessor, Arif Mohammed Khan, being shifted to Bihar. Khan, who was earlier the Governor of Kerala, will now take over in Bihar, marking a significant shift in India’s political landscape.
Other appointments in the reshuffle include former home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who will assume the role of new Governor of Manipur. He will replace Anusuiya Uikey, who was the incumbent Governor of Manipur. Another appointment made is that of Vijay Kumar Singh, former Army Chief and Union Minister, to the post of Governor of Mizoram. Hari Babu Kambhampati, the former Governor of Mizoram, will replace him as the Governor of Odisha.
Ajay Kumar Bhalla, from Jalandhar, Punjab, is an experienced IAS officer. He now leads Manipur as Governor after having spent nearly five years in the position of India’s Home Secretary, from 2019 to 2024, a period marked by several significant national issues on which he played an instrumental role.
He played a crucial role in the tenure of Home Secretary in overseeing key events, such as the revocation of Article 370, which removed Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, and the implementation of national security measures in response to widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Bhalla also took charge during the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating the national response to the health crisis.
This appointment of Bhalla as Governor is quite crucial for Manipur because there has been a strong ethnic clash between the Kuki and Meitei communities. The state of Manipur has been experiencing turmoil for more than a year. He will have to face complex socio-political circumstances and guide his administration accordingly. Bhalla’s previous experience in internal security and crisis management places him among the front runners for such a scenario.
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who is the outgoing Governor of Himachal Pradesh, has been appointed as the new Governor of Kerala. Arlekar is a seasoned politician with extensive experience, having served as a cabinet minister in Goa and as the Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly. He has been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 1989.
The appointment has come at a time when the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government of Kerala is at loggerheads with the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor. The political friction between the state government and the Governor’s office is well-documented, and Arlekar’s arrival is likely to influence the dynamics of the power struggle in the state.
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