New Delhi: Former Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been appointed as the new Manipur governor on Tuesday, December 24, per an official communication issued by the president’s secretariat. Additionally, Raghubar Das has resigned from the post of Odisha governor and President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignation.
Bhalla’s appointment comes at a critical time for Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic strife between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023. During his tenure as home secretary, he oversaw crucial legislation including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. He succeeds Assam governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who held additional charge of Manipur since July.
Mizoram governor Hari Babu Kambhampati has been appointed as the new Odisha governor. Retired General and former Union minister Vijay Kumar Singh, who served two terms as an MP from Ghaziabad, will replace him as Mizoram governor as part of the reshuffle.
In another change, Bihar governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has been appointed as the new Kerala governor, while Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan will take over as the Bihar governor. Khan’s tenure in Kerala was marked by frequent clashes with the Left Front government.
The appointments will take effect once the respective individuals assume charge of their new offices.