Kolkata: In an unprecedented development ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Thursday resigned from his post.
Ananda Bose is currently in New Delhi, and he tendered his resignation to the office of President Droupadi Murmu there.
Although no official confirmation in the matter had come from the office of the Governor in the matter at the time the report was filed, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a statement confirming the Governor’s resignation.
In her statement, the Chief Minister had claimed that the news of the resignation of Bose had been confirmed to her by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had also told her that the current Tamil Nadu Governor, R.N Ravi, will be West Bengal’s new Governor.
However, it is not clear whether Ravi would join as the acting or the full-time Governor.
“I am shocked and deeply concerned by the sudden news of the resignation of Shri C. V. Ananda Bose, the Governor of West Bengal. 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,” Cm Banerjee said in a statement shared on her X handle.
In her statement, the Chief Minister also claimed that the Union Home Minister never discussed the replacement of Ananda Bose with Ravi with her.
“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,” the Chief Minister said, stressing that such actions undermined the spirit of the Constitution of India and struck at the very foundation of the country’s 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,” Banerjee added.
Bose took charge as the Governor of West Bengal on November 17, 2022. His term was till November 2027. But he left office 20 months before the end of his tenure.
As Governor, Bose was vocal on several issues of the state from the very beginning. He has publicly criticised many policies of the West Bengal government.
(IANS)
