BY OUR STAFF REPORTER & IANS
GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI, Aug 17: Banwarilal Purohit has been appointed the new Governor of Assam. Purohit, a former Congressman from Maharashtra who later joined the BJP, has been three-time Member of Parliament from gpur. He also served as MLA in Maharashtra. In the 1980s, Purohit gained ownership of the gpur daily newspaper The Hitavada from the Servants of India Society. galand Governor Padmabha Balakrish Acharya was so far holding additiol charge of Assam. Former Union Minister jma Heptulla, who resigned last month after crossing 75 years of age, has also been appointed Governor of Manipur. Heptulla was among four Governors med by the Centre along with those for Assam, Punjab and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Heptulla, 76, had resigned from the Union Cabinet on July 12, almost a week after Prime Minister rendra Modi expanded his Council of Ministers. She had to resign on age grounds as the BJP in an unwritten code had fixed the maximum age for ministers at 75. She will replace V Shanmugathan, who as Meghalaya Governor was holding additiol charge of Manipur. Manipur, like Punjab, is headed for assembly elections next year.
Former Member of Parliament VP Singh Badnore has been appointed Governor of Punjab, which is scheduled to have assembly polls next year, said an official communique from the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Badnore, a senior BJP leader from Rajasthan, has replaced Harya Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, who was holding additiol charge of Punjab after Shivraj Patil's term ended last year.
Badnore, a four-time MLA from Rajasthan, was first elected to Lok Sabha from Bhilwara parliamentary constituency and retained the seat in 2004. In 2010, Badnore was elected to the Rajya Sabha and served as member of various parliamentary committees.
In other appointments, Jagdish Mukhi has been appointed Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The 73-year-old BJP leader has been appointed Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in place of Lt. General A.K. Singh (Retd). Mukhi, a BJP veteran from Delhi, represented Jakpuri assembly constituency for six terms. He also served as Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly. He was also Fince Minister of Delhi during the BJP regime from 1993-1998.