Amidst the ongoing political turmoil in Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu gets a full-time governor after a year. The President of India Ramnath Kovind has appointed the Governor of Assam, Banwarilal Purohit, as the Governor of Tamil Nadu. Mr. Purohit will succeed G Vidyasagar Rao who held joint responsibility of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
The President also appointed governors for the states of Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh and a lieutenant governor for Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Who Is Banwarilal Purohit?
A politician from the Vidharba region in Maharashtra, Purohit has a long political history of jumping ships between the Congress and BJP, and also launched his own party once.
He first joined the BJP from the Congress during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, but later went back to the Congress, only to return to the BJP. He had stints with the Janata Party and Forward Bloc before he joined the Congress. He was a two-time MLA and a three-time MP from Nagpur.
He is also a well-known educationalist and is the Managing Editor of The Hitavada.
The Hitavada introduces him thus: “Purohit had represented Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency thrice — 1984, 1989 and 1996 — with aplomb and emerged as the voice of the people, fearlessly championing public interest and according highest priority to national security. He was instrumental in bringing major Central Government institutions like South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR), National Research Centre for Citrus (NRCC), Raman Science Centre, Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminum Research and Development Centre (JNARDC) and several other projects to Nagpur.”
“Purohit actively supported Ramjanmabhoomi movement defying the party line as Member of Parliament belonging to Congress in the late 1980s. He became face of the movement in Parliament and refused to bow down before party diktat. He actively participated in Karseva at Ayodhya in 1992. A staunch nationalist, Purohit was convenor of Kashmir Manch in Vidarbha and addressed scores of rallies to create awareness about Kashmir’s irrevocable integration with India and advocating strong action against secessionist elements.”
In August 2016, Purohit was appointed as the Assam governor.
Criticism Against Rao
Vidyasagar Rao was appointed Maharashtra Governor in August 2014 and took over charge in Tamil Nadu in September 2016.
Rao has faced criticism for not being in Tamil Nadu during the state’s political crisis – beginning with when he put off swearing-in VK Sasikala, who had replaced O Panneerselvam as AIADMK's Legislative Party Leader. He has also faced criticism for delays in appointing Vice Chancellors to universities and members of the State Human Rights Commission and Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women.
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