Gandhinagar/New Delhi: At least two Gujarati governors and one administrator from the State are likely to be reshuffled with the names of Anandiben Patel and Praful Patel from Gujarat being in the discussion. Sources claim the Central government is likely to reshuffle gubernatorial positions in several states and Union Territories latest by November end.
Sources say that Mangubhai Patel who is the governor of Madhya Pradesh may not be disturbed but it is almost certain that former Gujarat chief Minister Anandiben Patel who is the current Uttar Pradesh Governor and Arif Mohammed Khan, the governor of Kerala will be replaced. Anandiben is the UP governor since 2019 and before that, she was the Madhya Pradesh Governor. She successfully ensured then that Shivraj Chouhan’s BJP government was formed.
Anandiben, a close confidant of Prime Minister Modi, is already 75 years plus so it will be interesting to note what role she is assigned. When PM Modi became the PM in 2014, she was made the Gujarat Chief Minister but she had to quit because of Patidar agitation helmed by Hardik Patel. It must be noted that Anandiben Patel and Amit Shah share an uneasy equation but PM Modi has always been successful in balancing them both.
Though some claim that Anandiben may be asked to retire or become a part of the margdarshak mandal; it may be that she is assigned some important position too. Because not only is she physically fit but Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala was 84 when he was recalled.
As regards Praful Patel, the kind of faith that Modi has had in him is evident from the fact that as a first time MLA, he was picked by Modi himself as the minister of state for home in 2010. This was after the then home minister Amit Shah resigned following his arrest in Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case.
Two years after Modi became the Prime Minister, Patel was made the administrator of Diu and Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Patel has successfully tackled opposition by the citizens and activists in Lakshadweep about several initiatives of the government on the island. His name had also figured in the suicide note of Mohan Delkar, the then MP from Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 2021. In Delkar’s video Kalaben is now Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) from the same constituency represented by her late husband.
The buzz of reshuffle assumes significance as several governors and lieutenant governors have already served for over three to five years, especially in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Left-ruled Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu.
In Jammu and Kashmir, where statehood is expected to be restored after the assembly elections, L-G Manoj Sinha has been in office for over four years. Considering the importance of Jammu and Kashmir it will not be surprising if Ram Madhav is made the Lieutenant Governor and replaced Manoj Sinha. Ram Madhav’s RSS connections could play a pivotal role here.
Speculations are rife that Ram Madhav, former BJP national general secretary who has close RSS links and has played a key role in the assembly elections, is likely to replace Sinha.
Arif Mohammad Khan has served as Kerala governor for more than five years. A source hinted at a possible new role for him either in gubernatorial position or something else because of his scholarly work.
Devendra Kumar Joshi, L-G of Andaman and Nicobar Islands since October 2017, may either retire or get a new role in Kerala or Jammu and Kashmir.
Thawar Chand Gehlot, the governor of Congress-ruled Karnataka, and Acharya Devvrat, the governor of BJP-ruled Gujarat, have been in their positions for more than three years.
Goa governor PS Sreedharan Pillai, who assumed office on July 15, 2021, and Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya, who is in office since July 15, 2021, have also completed more than three years of their tenure on gubernatorial assignments. So are Madhya Pradesh governor Mangubhai C Patel and Uttarakhand governor Gurmit Singh.
Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel has also completed over five years. RN Ravi of Tamil Nadu and PS Sreedharan Pillai of Goa have also served for over three years.
Sources say the reshuffle may take place either after the formation of new governments in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana or after assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
There is also a possibility of senior BJP leaders, who did not contest the Lok Sabha elections, being considered for gubernatorial or L-G positions. The names of former MPs Ashwani Choubey, VK Singh and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are also doing the rounds.
Already served over 3-5 years
The buzz of reshuffle assumes significance as several governors and lieutenant governors have already served for over three to five years, especially in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Left-ruled Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and the UTs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu. In J&K, L-G Manoj Sinha has been in office for over four years. Speculation is rife that former BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav may replace him.
Also Read: Gujarat: BJP Struggles To Meet 2 Crore Membership Target
