Koshyari out, Bais gets Maha Raj Bhawan!

Kartikey Dev Singh

Mumbai: After much tussle over the past few months, on Sunday, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari finally left the Raj Bhawan. A Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson on Sunday said President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignation of Koshyari.

WHO IS RAMESH BAIS?

z Ramesh Bais is the 23rd Governor of Maharashtra.

z He previously held the positions of Gov of Jharkhand from 2021 to 2023 and Governor of Tripura from 2019 to 2021.

z He is a member of BJP and has served as a Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

z He has been elected seven times to the Lok Sabha, representing the Raipur constituency.

z He was born on 2 August 1947 in Raipur, MP and completed his Higher Secondary education at B.S.E., Bhopal.

z He was first elected to the Municipal Corporation of Raipur in 1978 and won the 1980 MP Assembly election from Mandir Hasod Constituency.

z He was elected for the first time to the Indian parliament as a member of the 9th Lok Sabha from Raipur in 1989 and was reelected consecutively from 1996 to the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th,15th and 16th Lok Sabha.

In his place, Ramesh Bais, who was the governor of Jharkhand, has been appointed governor of Maharashtra.

Koshyari, who has been in the line of opposition fire over his remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji, said last month that he had conveyed his desire to quit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that he would like to spend the remainder of his life reading, writing and in other activities.

Koshyari, 80, took charge as Maharashtra governor in September 2019 at the time of a political turmoil in the state following Shiv Sena severing its ties with the BJP.

He had administered the oath of office

Opposition parties welcome Koshyari's exit as governor

First India Bureau Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Congress on Sunday welcomed the exit of Bhagat Singh Koshyari from the post of Maharashtra governor, with NCP chief Sharad Pawar saying the state is now relieved, but the decision to replace him should have been taken much earlier by the Centre.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also expressed similar views, while Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will learn how costly this (decision to replace Koshyari after much delay) would prove for it in the forthcoming elections.

Reacting to the government’s decision to replace Koshyari, NCP chief Pawar said, “Maharashtra is relieved now. It is a very good decision, but should have taken much earlier. The state in its history has never seen such a person on this post. I am content with the Union government’s decision.”

Maharashtra Congress president Patole claimed the Raj Bhavan of Maharashtra had become the “BJP Bhavan”.

“I was consistently making the point that he should be removed, but he resigned and his resignation was accepted. It is in a way showing respect to him, and now the BJP will learn how costly it would be for them in the coming elections. People will take the revenge for such acts (for the late decision to replace him),” Patole further claimed.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said Koshyari’s resignation was accepted as a part of the Union government’s routine changes in several states.

“The Union government waited for his tenure to get completed and then made the changes showing it as a routine change. I do not consider it as some special favour being shown to Maharashtra. Going by his controversial comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Savitribai Phule, he should have been removed from the post much earlier,” the Rajya Sabha member told reporters.

The Union government waited for his tenure to get completed and then made the changes showing it as a routine change. I do not consider it as some special favour being shown to Maharashtra. Going by his controversial comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Savitribai Phule, he should have been removed from the post much earlier.

—Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP to Devendra Fadnavis as the chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar as the deputy chief minster in a shock early morning ceremony, but that government lasted only three days.

When the Uddhav Thakeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi was in power, he had several run-ins with the government on a range of issues, including the appointment of 12 members to the state legislative council from the gubernatorial quota, which he never approved. The MVA had accused him of acting in a partisan manner.

The latest controversy surrounding Koshyari was about his remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,

Maharashtra is relieved now. It is a very good decision, but should have taken much earlier. The state in its history has never seen such a person on this post. I am content with the Union government's decision. —Sharad Pawar, NCP Chief I was consistently making the point that he should be removed, but he resigned and his resignation was accepted. It is in a way showing respect to him, and now the BJP will learn how costly it would be for them in the coming elections. People will take the revenge for such acts (for the late decision to replace him).

— Nana Patole, Maha Congress Chief Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation was performed by a priest from north India, and today the person who insulted Shivaji Maharaj has been sent back.

— Uddhav Thackeray, former CM

Big win for Maharashtra! The resignation of anti Maharashtra Gov has finally been accepted. He, who constantly insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Pule and Savitri bai Phule, our Constitution, Assembly & democratic ideals, cannot be accepted as a Governor.

—Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena (Thackeray) leader