M A I N   N E W S

Five new Guvs step in; Tandon gets Chhattisgarh
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 14
The Narendra Modi government today made its first gubernatorial appointments, with former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Balramji Dass Tandon taking over as the Governor of Chhattisgarh, former Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Assembly Keshari Nath Tripathi moving to West Bengal and former Union Minister Ram Naik taking charge in Uttar Pradesh.

Former Delhi BJP chief Om Prakash Kohli has been appointed Governor of Gujarat and senior BJP leader Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya will take over in Nagaland. These were the five appointments made by President Pranab Mukherjee, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communiqué said here.

Tandon, who served in the SAD-BJP coalition government in the 1990s, is one of the two Punjabi leaders of the BJP to have been accommodated by the Modi Government. He fills in the vacancy following the resignation of Shekhar Datt, who earlier served as Defence Secretary.

Kohli will be the Centre's representative in Gujarat against the vacancy caused by transfer of Kamla Beniwal to Mizoram. Kohli, a former Delhi University teacher, remained an active party member in the city unit and served a term in the Rajya Sabha.

Naik will take over in Uttar Pradesh after B L Joshi, who was considered to be close to the Gandhi family, was asked to tender his resignation last month. After the Modi government came to power, Joshi was the first Governor to quit as the new regime began nudging those appointed by the previous UPA government to put in their papers.

Keshari Nath Tripathi will take over in West Bengal as the post fell vacant after the resignation of M K Narayanan, a former IB chief and former National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He quit a day after the CBI questioned him in the Agusta Westland VVIP helicopter deal.

Padmanabha Acharya, a member of working group on the northeast region of the BJP and co-convener of the Overseas Friends of the BJP, was appointed Governor of Nagaland after President Pranab Mukherjee accepted resignation of Tripura Governor Vakkom Purushothaman, who was also officiating as Nagaland Governor. The President has asked Acharaya to perform the duties of Tripura Governor until regular arrangements are made, the communiqué said.

The other four

Keshari Nath Tripathi (West Bengal)

Ram Naik (Uttar Pradesh)

Om Prakash Kohli (Gujarat)

Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya (Nagaland).