Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) top officer and ex-Governor of Tamil Nadu, R.N. Ravi, is set to become the new governor of West Bengal. His swearing-in ceremony will take place at Lok Bhavan (formerly Raj Bhavan) in Kolkata at 11.30 a.m., with the oath administered by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul of the Calcutta High Court.
This event will witness the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, a rare occurrence. Ravi will be the second IB super-cop to assume the role of West Bengal Governor in the last fifteen years, following M.K. Narayanan before the crucial 2011 Assembly elections.
Observers note the timing of Ravi’s appointment coinciding with the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal. His selection follows the unexpected resignation of his predecessor, C.V. Ananda Bose, on March 5, which stirred political circles. Mamata Banerjee expressed surprise at Bose’s resignation and criticized the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for not consulting her before announcing Ravi’s appointment.
