K Sankaranarayanan unlikely to take charge as Mizoram Governor

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan, who has been transferred to Mizoram for his remaining tenure, is unlikely to take charge of his new assignment and may prefer to resign, according to sources.

Sankaranarayanan is likely to resign and head home to Kerala, the sources said here today.

"He is unlikely to go to Mizoram," the sources added. Meanwhile, Gujarat Governor O P Kohli, who has been asked to discharge duty as Maharashtra Governor for the time being, is arriving here this evening and the swearing-in will take place at 8 PM tonight, the sources said.

A Rashtrapati Bhawan communique issued late last night said that Sankaranarayanan has been shifted to Mizoram and Gujarat Governor OP Kohli has been asked to discharge his duties.

The post of Mizoram Governor had fallen vacant after the sacking of Kamla Beniwal, who had some run-in with the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi when she was the Governor of Gujarat.

Sankaranarayanan, 82, was among the Governors, appointed by the UPA, who were earlier asked to resign by the new government. But, he had refused to do so. His tenure ends in 2017.

A senior Congress leader, Sankaranarayanan has been serving as Governor of Maharashtra since 22 January, 2010. He took oath as Governor of Maharashtra for a second time on May 7, 2012 after the President granted him a fresh term of five years.