New Gubernatorial Appointments: Ajay Kumar Bhalla to Manipur, General V.K. Singh to Mizoram
New Delhi, 25th December 2024: On Tuesday, the government announced several new gubernatorial appointments, including former Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the Governor of Manipur and former Army Chief General V.K. Singh as the Governor of Mizoram.
Other key appointments made by President Droupadi Murmu include: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan being reassigned to Bihar, Mizoram Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati moving to Odisha, and Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar being appointed as the Governor of Kerala.
Bhalla’s appointment to Manipur is particularly noteworthy, as the state has faced ethnic violence for over a year. Bhalla, who served as Union Home Secretary when the violence began in May 2023, will leverage his experience in dealing with such crises to help resolve tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities and facilitate peace talks.
Arif Mohammed Khan, previously involved in numerous disputes with Kerala’s CPI(M)-led government, will now take charge of Bihar as Governor, just ahead of the state’s upcoming elections.
General V.K. Singh, who had served as the Minister of State for External Affairs, Road Transport and Highways, and Civil Aviation in the previous NDA government, is now appointed as Mizoram Governor. His appointment comes after the NDA faced a setback in the Mizoram Assembly polls. Singh’s role is critical as Mizoram shares close ties with the Chin-Kuki hill tribes involved in the ongoing violence in Manipur.
Hari Babu Kambhampati, a former BJP MP from Andhra Pradesh, was previously overseeing Mizoram before being reassigned to Odisha. His tenure as Odisha Governor follows the resignation of Raghubar Das amid speculation regarding his return to active politics in Jharkhand.
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, a veteran of the RSS, is transitioning from Bihar to Kerala. A long-standing member of the BJP, Arlekar previously served as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh before his reassignment to Bihar.
