Najma Heptulla, Mukhi appointed Governors

Former Union Minister Najma Heptulla, who resigned last month after crossing 75 years of age, has been appointed Governor of Manipur.

Heptulla was among four Governors named by the Centre along with those for Assam, Punjab and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Former Member of Parliament V.P. 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.

In other appointments, senior BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi has been appointed Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Banwarilal Purohit the Governor of Assam.

Heptulla, 76, had resigned from the union cabinet on July 12, almost a week after Prime Minister Narendra 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. Shanmuganathan, who as Meghalaya Governor was holding additional charge of Manipur.

Manipur, like Punjab, is headed for assembly elections next year.

Badnore, a senior BJP leader from Rajasthan, has replaced Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, who was holding additional 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.

The 73-year-old Jagdish Mukhi 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 Janakpuri assembly constituency for six terms. He also served as Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly. He was also Finance Minister of Delhi during the BJP regime from 1993-1998.

Purohit, a former Congressmen from Maharashtra who later joined the BJP, has been three-time Member of Parliament from Nagpur. He also served as MLA in Maharashtra.

In the 1980s, Purohit gained ownership of the Nagpur daily newspaper The Hitavada from the Servants of India Society.

Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya was so far holding additional charge of Assam.

--IANS

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