New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Gulab Chand Kataria, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly, as the next Governor of Assam.
An eight-time MLA with strong connections with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Kataria was seen as a key contender to be BJP's Chief Minister face in this year's Rajasthan assembly election. His appointment is being seen as a strategic and polite move to remove him from the big race.
He is from Udaipur and holds significant influence in the Mewar region comprising Udaipur and other nearby areas.
Another key appointment is that of Justice Nazeer, who was part of the five-member Constitution bench that delivered the unanimous judgment in the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi case in 2019. He has been appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
"Whenever the party has given me any responsibility I have fulfilled those with hard work. I will make sure I will fulfill the responsibility of being a governor with efficiency & without any bias," Gulab Chand Kataria told news agency ANI.
State BJP president Satish Poonia said on Sunday that Gulab Chand Kataria's appointment as the governor of Assam is an honour for entire Rajasthan.
"Kataria's appointment as the Assam governor is an honour for entire Rajasthan... He is the one who strengthened the BJP in Mewar," the state BJP chief told reporters, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Poonia, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, reached Kataria's residence to wish him.
He was the home minister in the former Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in the state. Gulab Chand Kataria is married to Anita Kataria and the couple has five daughters.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also congratulated Kataria on being named the new governor of the northeastern state.
"Heartiest congratulations Shri Gulab Chand Kataria ji on being appointed as Hon'ble Governor of Assam. Your vast experience in public service will surely benefit Assam immensely. Looking forward to work with you to take our journey of progress further," he tweeted.
Kataria will replace Jagdish Mukhi, who had assumed office in October, 2017.
Meanwhile, the President also accepted the resignations of Bhagat Singh Koshyari as Governor of Maharashtra and Radha Krishnan Mathur as Lt. Governor of Ladakh.
Former Jharkhand and Tripura Governor Ramesh Bais is set to replace Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.), Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, has been appointed as Lt. Governor of Ladakh.
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