Former Union Minister Najma Heptullah was appointed Governor of Manipur on Wednesday as President of India announced new gubernatorial appointments for three States and a Union Territory.
Former Rajya Sabha MP V.P Singh Badnore was appointed Punjab Governor. Banwarilal Purohit, a three-time former member of Lok Sabha from Nagpur and Managing Editor of Central India’s daily The Hitavada, will be the Governor of Assam while the Delhi-based BJP leader and former MLA Prof. Jagdish Mukhi was made Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique.
Ms. Heptullah, 76, had last month resigned as Minority Affairs Minister.
Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmuganathan was holding the additional charge as Manipur Governor.
Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki was holding additional charge of Punjab, which goes to polls next year. Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya was holding additional charge as Assam Governor, a post which will now be assumed by Mr. Purohit.
Prof. Mukhi has been appointed in place of Lt General (Retd) A.K. Singh. In another development, retired IPS officer and BJP National Secretary Farooq Khan, who once spearheaded anti- militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir, was appointed as the Administrator of Lakshadweep.