In a surprise move, the Centre has appointed Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Tamilisai Soundrarajan as the Telangana Governor. Expressing gratitude to the BJP over the appointment, Tamilisai stated that her term as the state Chief ends in December, allowing her to take up the role of Governor.
This appointment comes along with the change of Governors in three other states - Kerala, Maharashtra and Himachal.
Tamilisai has served in the Tamil Nadu BJP unit in various capacities starting from the South Chennai District Medical Wing Secretary in 1999.
She was appointed as the chief of TN BJP in August 2014. A doctor by profession, Tamilisai is the daughter of Congress leader Kumari Ananthan. She also happens to be the niece of Congress MP H Vasanthakumar. Though she does not have an RSS background, Tamilisai had been one of the BJP's star campaigners during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, leading to her appointment as BJP chief. She was the state BJP's first woman president.
Reacting to her appointment, Tamilisai told TV Channel PTTV, “I like to thank god and the ruler of the country. That BJP recognises hard work has been proven once again by our Prime Minister Modi and party President Amit Shah. Except for putting in my hard work I have not done anything else for the party. And this is proven by the 43 lakh members who have joined the party in TN recently. Irrespective of my age, the leaders have given me this opportunity and I dedicate this success to everyone in the party, all party members, the people of TN and my parents."
Tamilisai has unsuccessfully contested in two Assembly Elections and two Parliamentary Elections in the past. With her appointment as Telangana Governor, the floor is now thrown open for the next State BJP President.
Outgoing Telangana Governor
ESL Narasimhan was the first common Governor for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh after the state's bifurcation in. 2014. He had been serving as the Governor of erstwhile AP since 2009.
In July this year, he became the Governor of Telangana after Biswa Bhusan Harichandan took charge as the Governor for AP.
A retired IPS office, Narasimhan played a role in solving inter state issued after bifurcation. He also previously served as the Governor of Chhattisgarh in 2017 after serving as the director of the Intelligence Bureau