BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
18 March 2023, Rajagriha: Soon after granting royal assent to the Governorship Act, 2023 which created provisions for the position of the state governors, a largely ceremonial position in the states. The governors are to be the agents and representatives of the Rashtradhyaksh and the central government in the states and are to act as a bridge of communication between the centre and the states. Since the Rajpramukhs are the heads of state in the respective states, the governors would be deputy to the rulers and perform duties of the head of state when needed.
The position of state governors is not new in Vishwamitran political scene. Following the first creation of the federal units of administration, the states and the union territory in September 2016, the position of the state governor first came into existence. Prince Saikat, Crown Prince of Madhya Prant and Sanghita Roy were the first to be appointed as state governors and in the following years, several others were appointed as governors. The only difference between the position then and now would be that during the republican era, the governors performed as sole heads of state and were responsible for the state's administration during period of President's rule and absence of an elected chief minister. However, now, the governors would be performing largely ceremonial duties and act as per directions given to them by the Rashtradhyaksh or by the central government. In the following years, the position of governor was often used a tool to settle political retirees.
Signing the first act of appointment of governors after the position's return three years after its abolition in 2020, the Rashtradhyaksh His Illustrious and Royal Majesty Dhrubajyoti Roy appointed former Acting Prime Minister and Senior Prince of Purvanchal Prince Abhiraj Kar as the Governor of Beltola. Prince Abhiraj had earlier served as the Governor of Beltola in September 2019. Former Purvanchal Chief Minister and former union cabinet minister Princess Bishakha was appointed as the Governor of Basistha, Rajpramukh Emeritus of Basistha Mohammad Mridul Amin was appointed as the Governor of Madhya Prant, former External Affairs minister Arnab Deka was appointed as the Governor of Purvanchal for the third time. He also holds the record of being the longest-serving governor of Purvanchal.
Others appointed as governors included Navanna Mayor Reshmi Hazarika as Governor of Uttaranchal and former Education Minister Rajdeep Deka as Governor of Kamrupa. Both Hazarika and Deka have previously served as the governors of the states they have been appointed to. All the appointees except for Princess Bishakha have previously served as governors with Reshmi Hazarika also holding the record of serving as a governor for the longest continuous term. She served as governor of several states between May 2017 and June 2020.
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