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Five governors take cue from Advani, quit

Home Minister L K Advani's statement on Sunday that the Central government would review the appointment of Mizoram and Goa governors -- made during Inder Kumar Gujral's caretaker regime -- and make changes in the governorship of some states, has had an immediate fallout.

Dr Arun Prosad Mukherjee, who had assumed charge as Mizoram governor on January 29 this year, has resigned. Chief Minister Lalthanhawla said his resignation letter had been faxed to President K R Narayanan who was yet to convey a decision on the matter.

Lalthanhawla said the governor's resignation could have been in reaction to Advani's statement which, he contended, showed disrespect to constitutional propriety.

Gujarat Governor Krishnapal Singh too has resigned from his post, following a directive from the Centre.

Announcing his resignation at a hurriedly called press conference at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar this evening, the governor said the Central home secretary informed him yesterday that the Union Cabinet has sought his resignation. Following this, he forwarded his resignation to the President.

Sources in South Block said others to take a hint from Advani are Goa Governor T R Satishchandran, Andaman and Nicobar Lieutenant Governor I K Gupta and his Delhi counterpart Tejender Khanna.

Khanna resigned last night, and the new appointee is to be announced in a day or two, sources in the Delhi government said. They said Vijay Kapoor, an IAS officer from the 1961 batch, the same as Khanna, will be the new Delhi lieutenant governor.

Sources in Delhi administration said the warrant of appointment for Kapoor was being prepared and will be notified 'any time now'. Khanna had taken over as the lieutenant governor from P K Dave in January last year, soon after retiring as the Union commerce secretary.

Khanna's resignation comes in the wake of Chief Minister Sahib Singh's public announcement two days ago about top-level changes in the Delhi administration.

The posts of Police Commissioner T R Kakkar, Chief Secretary P V Jayakrishnan, Municipal Commissioner V K Duggal and Delhi Development Authority Vice-Chairman P K Ghosh are also under review and changes are likely, Sahib Singh had said.

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