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Kerala Kaumudi Online
Wednesday, 19 February 2025 9.10 PM IST

Inimitable Arif Mohammad Khan completes Kerala chapter; Arlekar era to begin soon

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a storied five years, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is all set to bid adieu to Kerala. Khan will assume charge as the new Governor of Bihar. Meanwhile, the president appointed the current Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar as the new Kerala Governor. Arif Muhammad completed his five-year term on September 5. The decision to make Khan the new governor of Bihar, one of the largest states in the country can be viewed as a pat on the back.

BJP leader from Goa Rajendra Arlekar will soon become the 23rd Governor of Kerala. When late leader Manohar Parrikar was selected as the central minister, the BJP leadership considered handing over the chief minister post to Arlekar. He has served as Speaker and Minister in the cabinet. He was the Governor of Himachal Pradesh during 2023. He became the Governor of Bihar in February 2023.

Arlekar is a music enthusiast with a gentle demeanour. Unlike the former Kerala Governors, Arlekar will be the first staunch RSS leader to take the place. Former Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla will become the new Manipur Governor. Mizoram governor Kambhampati Hari Babu has been appointed as the new Odisha governor. Instead, former Chief of Army Staff and Chief Minister General Dr VK Singh will take reigns as the new Mizoram Governor. Meanwhile, P S Sreedharan Pillai will continue as Goa governor.

Uttar Pradesh native Arif Khan’s tenure in Kerala was erratic but the leader made everyone know the tentacles of power within the Governor. There were occasions when Khan brought the government to its knees and showed how far he would go to ensure the rule of law. There were fewer days in the last five years that didn’t have news about the Governor's tussle with the government.

Hitherto the public perceived Governors as run-of-the-mill posts to carry forward the British-era trend. Khan was an anomaly. He craned his neck into breach of laws, actively engaged in public programs and made bonhomie with people through crucial interventions from Raj Bhavan. Despite the face-off with the left government, Khan undoubtedly made Kerala his home and for all his yeoman work, his tenure will enter the annals of Kerala’s political history.

Khan is now in Delhi and will return to Kerala on December 28th. Assembly elections are scheduled for next year in Bihar. Arlekar, known for his reforms such as making the Goa assembly go paperless, the first in the country, will soon take up the reins in Kerala.

TAGS: ARIF MOHAMMAD KHAN, ARLEKAR, GOA, BIHAR, GOVERNOR, KERALA
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