R.N. Ravi to Take Charge as West Bengal Governor; Kavinder Gupta, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh resigns

KalimNews, March 5, 2026, Kalimpong : A major political development unfolded on Thursday as C. V. Ananda Bose, the Governor of West Bengal, resigned from his post. The resignation, which comes ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, has triggered strong political reactions and speculation about the circumstances surrounding the move.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah has just informed me that R. N. Ravi is being appointed as the Governor of West Bengal." Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal said.

According to reports, Bose, who is currently in New Delhi, has sent his resignation letter to Droupadi Murmu, the President of India. Commenting briefly on his decision, he told Press Trust of India (PTI), "I have spent enough time at the Governor's office."

Meanwhile, news agency ANI (Asian News International), citing sources, reported that Kavinder Gupta, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has also stepped down from his post. However, an official confirmation and detailed explanation regarding the development are still awaited.

Ravindra Narayana Ravi, commonly known as R. N. Ravi, was currently serving as the 15th Governor of Tamil Nadu, a position he has held since 2021. Born on 3 April 1952 in Patna, Bihar, he is an Indian politician and former bureaucrat with a long career in administration and security affairs.

Ravi began his professional life with a short stint in journalism before joining the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1976. During his service, he worked with key national agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

In 2014, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, a key body responsible for coordinating intelligence assessments. Later, in October 2018, he took charge as the Deputy National Security Advisor of India.

Before assuming office in Tamil Nadu, Ravi also served as the Governor of Nagaland and held additional charge of Meghalaya.

Ravi’s tenure as the Governor of Tamil Nadu has frequently seen face-offs with the elected government led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin. The state government has often accused him of delaying or withholding assent to several bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Stalin and his party leaders have criticised the Governor as being “dictatorial”, alleging that his reluctance to clear bills has hindered the functioning of the state government.

In response to these delays, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution urging the Union Government to set a time limit for Governors to give assent to bills.

The issue later reached the Supreme Court of India. In April 2025, the court delivered a landmark judgment in a case filed by the state government against the Governor, directing that time limits be followed for granting assent to bills.

However, in August 2025, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, responding to questions raised by the President of India, clarified that the Constitution of India does not mandate any fixed time limit for the President or Governors to act on legislation.

With the resignation of C. V. Ananda Bose and the appointment of R. N. Ravi as the next Governor, the political environment in West Bengal has entered a sensitive phase. As the state approaches Assembly elections, the developments surrounding Raj Bhavan are expected to remain a topic of intense political debate and public interest.

Reacting to the sudden development, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, expressed shock and concern. She also stated that the Union Government had already informed her about the appointment of a new Governor.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah has just informed me that R. N. Ravi is being appointed as the Governor of West Bengal."

The Chief Minister criticised the decision-making process, stating that the established convention of consulting the state government was not followed.

"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. Such actions undermine the spirit of the Constitution of India and strike at the very foundation of our federal structure. The Centre must respect the principles of cooperative federalism and refrain from taking unilateral decisions that erode democratic conventions and the dignity of States."