Veteran TDP leader and former union minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been appointed as the Governor of Goa, succeeding PS Sreedharan Pillai. He is among three Governors for two states and a Union Territory, appointed by President Droupadi Murmu on Monday. The Governors has been for Haryana, Goa, and Ladakh.
The appointments will take effect from the dates they will assume charge of their respective offices, it said.President Murmu has also accepted the resignation of Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) as Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh and appointed Kavinder Gupta, a senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, in his place.
Gupta is known for his administrative experience in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state. He is the first Jammu-born leader to hold the top post in the Union Territory.
Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh, a respected academic and political thinker, has been appointed as the Governor of Haryana in the place of senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya. His appointment brings a scholarly perspective to the state’s constitutional leadership.
This is the first time a TDP leader has been appointed as a Governor. As TDP is a crucial partner of the NDA-led government at the Center, the BJP leadership considered giving a Governor post to it.
The BJP has decided to give the post of governor as per the previous promise made to the TDP, which cooperated in the allocation of Rajya Sabha seats as desired by the BJP in AP.
While two senior leaders of TDP were considered for this post, TDP chief and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has reportedly preferred Ashok Gajapathi Raju. The other leader considered was Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
Along with Bihar, elections are due soon in three other states. With this, the BJP is taking strategic decisions regarding all appointments in the party, starting with the national president. Only on Sunday, it nominated four prominent persons to the Rajya Sabha from the President’s quota.
The BJP had promised the post of governor to the TDP during the period 2014-19. However, due to political developments that took place after that, the TDP came out of the NDA. As a result, the decision could not be implemented. The BJP leadership has decided to fulfill the promise that was given in the past and not fulfilled.
The TDP has received an offer of the governor’s post from the center asking Chandrababu Naidu to suggest a name from the TDP. Both Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Yanamala have played a key role in the TDP since the beginning. They have been Chandrababu’s companions.
Both have served as assembly speakers and finance ministers. Ashok Gajapathi Raju has also served as a TDP minister at the center. Presently, both of them are not holding any official position. But, their daughters were elected to the Assembly in last year’s elections.
Recently, Yanamala retired as a member of the legislative council. He has made it clear that if he is given a chance for the Rajya Sabha, he will go for it, otherwise, he will retire from politics. Moreover, along with Yanamala’s daughter, his Viyyankadu is also an MLA. His son-in-law is an MP.
In the last ten years, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Bandaru Dattatreya, Kambhampati Haribabu and Indrasena Reddy have got the posts of Governor from Telugu states.
