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Koshyari out, Ramesh Bais is the new governor of Maharashtra

admin February 13, 2023 61

The President of India has accepted the resignation of Bhagat Singh Koshyari as governor of Maharashtra. Ramesh Bais, governor of Jharkhand appointed as governor of Maharashtra. The above appointment will take effect from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices,” stated a press communique from Rashtrapati BhavanKoshyari (80), who served the state for over three years, has been replaced by Ramesh Bais (75) as the new governor of Maharashtra. Bias is the incumbent governor of Jharkhand, in whose place C P Radhakrishnan has been appointed. President of India has accepted Koshyari’s resignation on Sunday. (ANI)Mumbai: On Sunday, President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari who had last month expressed his desire to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resign from his post. Koshyari (80), who served the state for over three years, has been replaced by Ramesh Bais (75) as the new governor of Maharashtra. Bias is the incumbent governor of Jharkhand, in whose place C P Radhakrishnan has been appointed.

Bais was a union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government between 1999 and 2004. He was a seven-term member of parliament from Raipur Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh.

Following a series of controversies and with the opposition gunning for his head, Koshyari had openly expressed his desire to step down from his position and had conveyed the same to PM Modi during his Mumbai visit last month. This was the second time the governor had expressed his willingness to quit the post. Earlier, he had wrote to union home minister Amit Shah seeking his “advice” on what to do next. The letter written on December 6, 2022, was seen as Koshyari’s willingness to leave Maharashtra, as it was getting increasingly difficult for him to continue in his gubernatorial position. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition had also accused Koshyari of being partial towards the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). For the past several weeks, there were speculations that he would be replaced soon.

“The President of India has accepted the resignation of Bhagat Singh Koshyari as governor of Maharashtra. Ramesh Bais, governor of Jharkhand appointed as governor of Maharashtra. The above appointment will take effect from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices,” stated a press communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

In response to Koshyari’s removal, the opposition parties said that he should have been removed by the Centre long ago. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said that they welcome the decision. “It is a welcome move. They (central government) should have taken this decision before. In its history, Maharashtra has not seen such a person as the Governor.”

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said, “Instead of removing him from the position, the central government chose to wait for him to resign and accepted his resignation. It has saved the honour of Koshyari but insulted the state.”

Shiv Sena leader (UBT) Aaditya Thackeray also welcomed the decision. “Big win for Maharashtra! The resignation of the anti-Maharashtra governor has finally been accepted! He, who constantly insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule & Savitri bai Phule, our Constitution, Assembly & democratic ideals, cannot be accepted as a Governor!,” said Aaditya in a tweet.

Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj said that they want the new governor not to repeat Koshyari’s mistakes. “It is the responsibility of the governor to maintain the customs and traditions of Maharashtra.”

Senior BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar defended Koshyari. “He requested the Centre to relieve him from the post as he wanted to spend the rest of his life reading and studying. Accordingly, his resignation was accepted by the president,” Mungantiwar told reporters.

The ruling BJP was finding it difficult to continue defending Koshyari, who had been periodically courting controversies. Even chief minister Eknath Shinde wanted him to be removed as the Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and BJP government could not afford to be seen protecting the one who had “insulted” Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the insiders said.

Koshyari took over as the 19th governor of the state on September 5, 2019, and had been at the loggerheads with the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Koshyari’s decision to ask the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority within 24 hours after a split in the Shiv Sena and then immediately inviting Eknath Shinde to form the government evoked strong criticism. The opposition parties accused Koshyari of acting in a partisan manner on various issues.

He was also facing flak over his remarks that were considered “objectionable and defamatory”.

His statement on Shivaji Maharaj and BR Ambedkar turned out to be a storm in Maharashtra politics. The two descendants of King Shivaji — Udayanraje Bhosale and Chhatrapati Sambhaji — had even taken the matter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President.