Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose suddenly resigned on Thursday, ending a three-year stint marked by bitter confrontation with chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who smelt a pre-election ploy by the BJP.
Mamata said she had been told that Bose would be replaced with R.N. Ravi, the Tamil Nadu governor who has had several run-ins with the state’s DMK government.
“I am shocked and deeply concerned by the sudden news of the resignation of Shri C. V. Ananda Bose.... The reasons behind his resignation are not known to me at this moment,” Mamata posted on X.
Mamata added: “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.
“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.”
Sources said Bose tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu.
Senior Union home ministry officials were tightlipped about the possible reason. “This has taken us by surprise,” a ministry official said.
Bose told PTI that he had spent enough time in the post and did not want to continue.
A retired IAS officer from Kerala, Bose had been appointed Bengal governor in November 2022, replacing La Ganesan who had stepped in briefly when the BJP fielded his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar in the vice-presidential election.
Ananda Bose was apparently named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by his father, a freedom fighter.
Ladakh lieutenant governor Kavinder Gupta, too, handed in his resignation on Thursday. Gupta had been appointed last July.