Jharkhand Got New Governor: Santosh Kumar Gangwar

Former Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar was on July 31 sworn in as the 12th Governor of Jharkhand. Mr. Gangwar, 76, succeeded C.P. Radhakrishnan, who was appointed as the Governor of Maharashtra. Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Sujit Narayan Prasad administered the oath of office to Mr. Gangwar.

Attendees in the oath ceremony

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Chief Secretary L. Khiangte, other Ministers and several dignitaries were present at the oath-taking ceremony in Ranchi. Mr. Gangwar expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Central Government for his appointment as the Governor of Jharkhand, and said he was delighted to be in the land of tribal icon Birsa Munda. “This State will establish a unique identity in the country and create its own yardsticks of development with the rich resources. I am confident Jharkhand will progress under the leadership of Hemant Soren,” he told reporters.

About Santosh Kumar Gangwar

• Mr. Gangwar’s electoral journey started in 1984 when he lost to Congress candidate Abida Begum, the wife of former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, following which he contested the Lok Sabha polls again in 1989 and became an MP for the first time.
• He emerged victorious in Lok Sabha elections from 1989 to 2019, barring 2009, when Praveen Singh Aron of the Congress defeated him.
• Mr. Gangwar, an eight-time BJP MP from the Bareilly Lok Sabha seat, has been a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi-led governments.
• While he was not given a ticket by the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had said that he would be given a new assignment.

Appointment of Governor

The Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. Article 156. Term of office of Governor :

• The Governor shall hold office during the pleasure of the President.
• The Governor may, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign his office.
• Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Article, a Governor shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office. Provided that a Governor shall, notwithstanding the expiration of his term, continue to hold office until his successor   enters upon his office.