Ajay Bhalla Appointed Manipur Governor, Arif Mohammed Khan Moved to Bihar
In a major reshuffle of governors, the President of India announced several new appointments, including Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the governor of Manipur and Arif Mohammed Khan's transfer to Bihar. The reshuffle also saw the resignation of Raghubar Das as Odisha governor and subsequent appointments to various states.
Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the former home secretary of India, assumes the governorship of Manipur, replacing Anusuiya Uikey. Bhalla’s tenure as home secretary from 2019 to 2024 included overseeing critical national developments, such as the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, handling protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, and managing India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His appointment is particularly significant for Manipur, which has faced prolonged ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities.
Arif Mohammed Khan, previously the governor of Kerala, has been shifted to Bihar, while Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the current governor of Bihar, takes over as governor of Kerala. Arlekar, a seasoned politician and former speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, had earlier served as the governor of Himachal Pradesh.
Former Army chief and Union minister Vijay Kumar Singh has been appointed as the governor of Mizoram, succeeding Hari Babu Kambhampati, who will now serve as the governor of Odisha.
The changes in governorships, particularly the swaps between Kerala and Bihar, come amid ongoing tensions between the Kerala government led by Pinarayi Vijayan and the Raj Bhavan. The reshuffle underscores the government’s strategic placements to address regional and political challenges in key states.