New Delhi: West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan resigned on Monday, joining the list of Congress appointees who have quit Raj Bhawans after the NDA government came to power at the Centre.
Mr Narayanan, 80, was recently questioned by the CBI as a “witness” in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal probe.
Goa Governor B.V. Wanchoo is also likely to be questioned by the agency in the case. Mr Wanchoo has already indicated that he may resign from the gubernatorial post soon.
The NDA government has been prodding UPA appointees to resign after which Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumar, Uttar Pradesh Governor B.L. Joshi and Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt put in their papers.
Incidentally, all the four Governors who have resigned so far are either former IPS or IAS officers. Mr Joshi and Mr Kumar are former IPS officers while Mr Dutt is a former IAS officer.
None of the Governors with “political backgrounds” have resigned yet.
Home ministry sources confirmed that Mr Narayanan’s resignation has been received and there is a move to give additional charge of West Bengal Raj Bhawan to either Governors of Odisha or Jharkhand.
It is learnt that the ruling BJP is still in the process of finalising its own list of probables for Raj Bhawans.
Sources said there is a move to appoint BJP veterans as Governors in around 10 states, particularly states which are going to hold assembly elections in the next few months.
