CV Ananda Bose resigns as Bengal Governor; Mamata alleges pressure by Centre, says RN Ravi next

Bose is currently in New Delhi. The reason for his resignation is not yet known.

ABP Ananda, quoting sources, said Bose cited health reasons behind his resignation from the post.

Reacting to the development, Banerjee claimed that R. N. Ravi, the current Governor of Tamil Nadu, will replace Bose in West Bengal.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. File Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

In her first reaction, the Chief Minister said she was “shocked and deeply concerned” by the development.

“The reasons behind his resignation are not known to me at this moment. However, given the prevailing circumstances, I would not be surprised if the Governor has been subjected to some pressure from the Union Home Minister to serve certain political interests on the eve of the forthcoming State Assembly elections,” Banerjee said in a post on X.

She also alleged that the Centre did not consult her before the reported decision to appoint Ravi as Governor.

“The Union Home Minister just informed me that Shri R. N. Ravi is being appointed as Governor of West Bengal. He never consulted with me as per the established convention in this regard,” she said.

Banerjee added that such actions undermine the spirit of the Constitution and the federal structure of India.

“The Centre must respect the principles of cooperative federalism and refrain from taking unilateral decisions that erode democratic conventions and the dignity of states,” she said.

Bose was appointed Governor of West Bengal in November 2022, succeeding Jagdeep Dhankhar after he became the Vice-President of India.

During his tenure, Bose had several public disagreements with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, adding to the friction between the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and the Lok Bhavan.

The two had sparred over multiple issues, including the handling of violence during the 2023 West Bengal Panchayat Elections, delays in clearing state government bills, and the Governor’s visits to violence-hit districts.

Mamata Banerjee with CV Ananda Bose. Photo: X/AITMC.

The Chief Minister had on several occasions accused the Governor of acting at the behest of the Centre, allegations that Lok Bhavan had rejected.

R.N. Ravi to replace Bose

R.N. Ravi, currently serving as the Governor of Tamil Nadu, is also known for his frequent run-ins with the state’s ruling party over governance and legislative matters.

A former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the 1976 batch of the Kerala cadre, Ravi has held several key positions in India’s security and intelligence establishment. He served as the Deputy National Security Adviser and played a key role as the Centre’s interlocutor for the Naga peace talks with insurgent groups in the Northeast.

In 2019, he was appointed the Governor of Nagaland before being moved to Tamil Nadu in 2021.

His tenure in Tamil Nadu has been marked by repeated confrontations with Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, particularly over the delay in giving assent to state bills and remarks on the state’s political and ideological legacy.