NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu has appointed new Governors for six states, transferring Om Prakash Mathur to Keralam and Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to Tamil Nadu, while naming Braj Mohan Ram, Dr Sudha Yadav, Dhal Singh Bisen and Dushyant Gautam to Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Sikkim, respectively.
President Droupadi Murmu appoints new Governors to six States:
(i) Om Prakash Mathur, Governor of Sikkim, appointed as Governor of Keralam.
(ii) Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Governor of Keralam appointed as Governor of Tamil Nadu.
(iii) Braj Mohan Ram appointed as Governor of… pic.twitter.com/eTOIytXMWX
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) October 12, 2026
The appointments, announced by the Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 12, bring together experienced political leaders with backgrounds in party organisation, legislative affairs, public service and grassroots politics. The appointments will take effect from the dates on which the appointees assume charge of their respective offices.
Om Prakash Mathur: Veteran BJP organiser to take charge in Keralam
Om Prakash Mathur, who has been serving as the Governor of Sikkim, has been appointed as the Governor of Keralam. A veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Rajasthan, Mathur has decades of experience in political organisation and parliamentary affairs.
Born on January 2, 1952, in Rajasthan’s Pali district, Mathur graduated from Rajasthan University in Jaipur. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2008 and returned to the Upper House in 2016. During his parliamentary tenure, he served on several committees, including those dealing with Railways, Defence, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Commerce and Public Undertakings.
Before taking up the gubernatorial assignment in Sikkim in July 2024, Mathur held important organisational responsibilities within the BJP. His appointment to Keralam marks a new constitutional assignment for a leader with extensive experience in party organisation and parliamentary work.
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar: From Goa Assembly speaker to Tamil Nadu Governor
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the incumbent Governor of Keralam, has been appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu. Born on April 23, 1954, in Panaji, Goa, Arlekar graduated in Commerce from MES College in Vasco da Gama.
Associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from an early age, he became an active member of the BJP in 1989 and later served as the party’s Goa unit president. He was elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly in 2002 and served as its Speaker from 2012 to 2017.
During his tenure as Speaker, the Goa Legislative Assembly adopted a paperless system, an initiative associated with his tenure. Arlekar also served as Goa’s Minister for Forest and Environment and Panchayati Raj before moving to gubernatorial assignments.
He was appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh in 2021 and subsequently served as Governor of Bihar before assuming charge in Keralam on January 2, 2025. He had also been holding additional charge of Tamil Nadu since March 2026. His appointment now places him at the helm of the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan.
Braj Mohan Ram: Former Palamu MP appointed Odisha Governor
Braj Mohan Ram, a senior political leader from Jharkhand and former Member of Parliament, has been appointed as the Governor of Odisha. He represented the Palamu Lok Sabha constituency and was elected to Parliament for three consecutive terms beginning in 1996, according to reports published following the announcement.
Ram has been associated with political and social work involving Scheduled Caste communities. His public life includes engagement with community organisations and educational initiatives. His appointment brings a former parliamentarian with experience in electoral politics and community-level work to the Odisha Raj Bhavan. He will succeed Hari Babu Kambhampati, who was appointed Governor of Odisha in December 2024.
Dr Sudha Yadav: IIT Roorkee Scholar and former Lok Sabha MP to head Karnataka Raj Bhavan
Dr Sudha Yadav, a BJP leader and former Lok Sabha member from Mahendragarh in Haryana, has been appointed as the Governor of Karnataka. Her background combines academic qualifications, parliamentary experience and organisational responsibilities within the BJP.
Yadav holds a Master of Science degree and a PhD in Chemistry from IIT Roorkee. She entered public life following the death of her husband, Border Security Force Deputy Commandant Sukhbir Singh Yadav, during the Kargil War. She subsequently entered electoral politics and represented Mahendragarh in the Lok Sabha. She is a member of the BJP Parliamentary Board, the party’s key decision-making body, and served as a member of the National Commission for Backwards Classes from 2019 to 2022. Her appointment to Karnataka brings a former parliamentarian with an academic background and experience in public institutions to the gubernatorial office.
Dhal Singh Bisen: Former Madhya Pradesh Minister to become Uttarakhand Governor
Dhal Singh Bisen, a senior BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh, has been appointed as the Governor of Uttarakhand. He has served in both state and national politics, representing the Balaghat region in elected office. Bisen served as a Member of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly and held a Cabinet position in the state government from 2003 to 2005. He later represented the Balaghat Lok Sabha constituency in Parliament. Reports also identify him as an Ayurveda practitioner by profession.
His political career spans state-level administration and parliamentary representation. As Governor of Uttarakhand, he will take up a constitutional role following the tenure of Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd), who assumed office in September 2021.
Dushyant Gautam: Former BJP national general secretary appointed Sikkim Governor
Dushyant Gautam, a senior BJP leader with extensive organisational experience, has been appointed as the Governor of Sikkim. He has held several responsibilities within the party, including serving as its national general secretary and national president of the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha.
Gautam began his electoral career as a councillor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and later served as a Rajya Sabha member. His political work has included organisational activities and engagement with Scheduled Caste communities. His appointment to Sikkim marks a transition from party organisation and parliamentary politics to a constitutional office. He succeeds Om Prakash Mathur, who has been transferred to Keralam.
The latest reshuffle covers six states: Keralam, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. While Mathur and Arlekar have been transferred from their existing gubernatorial assignments, the other four appointments bring former parliamentarians and senior political organisers into gubernatorial roles. According to the official communiqué issued by the President’s Secretariat, all six appointments will take effect from the dates on which the appointees assume charge of their respective offices.
