Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 24 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as the new Governor of Kerala.
He replaces Arif Mohammed Khan, who has been appointed as the Governor of Bihar. Notably, the Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to take place next year.
Arif Mohammed Khan’s tenure as Kerala Governor was marked by frequent confrontations with the state government led by the CPI(M). He had a strained relationship with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and was often at odds with the CPI(M)’s student wing, the SFI, which he once described as a “criminal outfit.”
His outspoken nature and active involvement in public matters made the Kerala Raj Bhavan a hub of political activity, with the Governor frequently engaging with the media. Rajendra Arlekar, who will now serve as the Governor of Kerala, was previously the 29th Governor of Bihar and the 21st Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
A BJP leader from Goa, Arlekar has held prominent positions, including Cabinet Minister and Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
With a strong RSS background, he was a contemporary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the organisation and joined the BJP during the same period as PM Modi.
–IANS
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