Govt finalises governors for Rajasthan, Karnataka, Goa, Maha

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh was on Tuesday appointed governor of Rajasthan as the Centre named three more Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for the Raj Bhavans in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.

Gujarat Speaker Vajubhai Vala has been appointed governor of Karanatka, where H R Bharadwaj had completed his tenure recently, while former Union Minister C Vidyasagar Rao will take the place of K Shankaranarayanan, who quit as governor of Maharashtra on Sunday after he was shunted to Mizoram.

Seventy-one-year Mridula Sinha, former president of the BJP's Mahila Morcha, was appointed as governor of Goa in place of B V Wanchoo who was among those asked to quit after the change of guard at the Centre.

According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, 82-year-old Kalyan Singh will take over in Jaipur in the vacancy caused by the retirement of Margaret Alva earlier this month.

A two-time chief minister, Singh was convicted for a day by the Supreme Court on October 24, 1994 for violating the commitment made to the Supreme Court on ensuring the safety and protection of the Babri Masjid. He went out of the BJP on two occasions but returned to its fold.

Seventy-six-year-old Vala, who will take over in Bangalore, is an old trusted aide of Modi who served in his government as finance minister before he was elected as speaker of Gujarat Vidhan Sabha in January last year.

Rao, who had served as minister of state for home in the Vajpayee government, hails from newly-carved out Telengana state. A lawyer by profession, 69-year-old Rao was elected to Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly three times and was the leader of Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly.

Sinha, a noted Hindi writer, has authored a dozen books including "Ek thi rani aisi bhi", a book dedicated to Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia. The Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said the appointments will take effect from the dates the incumbents assume charge of their respective offices.

Image: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, who was on Tuesday appointed governor of Rajasthan.