Presidential Order: 9 States and UTs Get New Governors and LGs Ahead of Key Elections
New Delhi, March 6, 2026 — President Droupadi Murmu executed a massive administrative reshuffle late Thursday night, appointing new Governors and Lieutenant Governors across nine States and Union Territories. The sweeping changes come just months ahead of highly anticipated assembly elections in several key states, bringing major leadership shifts to both West Bengal and the national capital.
According to the official communiqué issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan, the restructuring involves the transfer of prominent constitutional heads and the induction of former diplomats and military veterans into gubernatorial roles.
Sudden Leadership Change in West Bengal
In a move that holds significant political weight for the region, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has been transferred and appointed as the new Governor of West Bengal. He replaces Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose, who abruptly tendered his resignation on Thursday—nearly 20 months before his official term was scheduled to end.
The appointment of R.N. Ravi, a retired 1976-batch IPS officer and former Deputy National Security Advisor, comes at a crucial juncture as West Bengal prepares for its 2026 Assembly elections. Reacting to the overnight development, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that the established convention of consulting the state government prior to the appointment of a new Governor had not been followed.
Former US Envoy Takes Charge of Delhi
In another high-profile appointment, veteran diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been named the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Sandhu, a 1988-batch IFS officer who recently served as India’s Ambassador to the United States (2020–2024), takes over the reins from V.K. Saxena.
Saxena, whose four-year tenure in Delhi was marked by frequent administrative friction with the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, has been reassigned as the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh. Delhi’s recently elected Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, publicly welcomed Sandhu, expressing confidence that his extensive diplomatic experience will heavily benefit the capital’s public welfare initiatives.
Complete List of Other Key Appointments
The Presidential directive also outlined several other critical transfers across the country:
Bihar: Lieutenant General (Retired) Syed Ata Hasnain has been appointed as the new Governor.
Maharashtra: Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has been transferred to serve as the Governor of Maharashtra.
Telangana: Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla takes over as the new Governor of Telangana.
Himachal Pradesh: Kavinder Gupta, the outgoing Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has been elevated to Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
Nagaland: Senior BJP leader and former Bihar Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav has been appointed as the Governor.
Tamil Nadu: Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will discharge the additional functions of the Governor of Tamil Nadu until a permanent replacement is named.
According to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the new appointments will take effect from the respective dates the officials assume charge of their offices.
