Indian President Droupadi Murmu appoints governors of five states

In a major government reshuffle, Indian President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday (Dec 24) appointed the governors of five states—Odisha, Mizoram, Kerala, Bihar, and Manipur. 

Former Union home secretary of the country, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, has been appointed as the governor of Manipur. Bhalla’s appointment is crucial at this time since Manipur has been reeling under ethnic violence that has rocked the state since May 2023.

According to a statement released by the President’s Secretariat, the new appointments would take effect from the dates the governors would assume charge of their respective offices.

The statement said that President Murmu accepted the resignation of Raghubar Das, who had been serving as Odisha governor. Outgoing Mizoram Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati has been appointed as Odisha’s governor. 

Former Union home secretary of the country, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, has been appointed as the governor of Manipur Former Indian Army Chief General (Retd) VK Singh would be the  Mizoram governor.

Outgoing Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will be taking charge as Kerala’s governor. On the other hand, Arif Mohammed Khan, the outgoing governor of Kerala, would become Bihar’s governor. 

Bhalla, a seasoned administrator, would be taking charge as Manipur’s governor at a time when the state has been witnessing an ethnic strife for more than a year. 

The violence in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki communities erupted following a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2023, against the high court’s directive to consider the inclusion of Meiteis in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Since the strife began, hundreds have been killed and around 60,000 people have been displaced. 

(With inputs from agencies)