Governor of Purvanchal
| Governor of Purvanchal पूर्वांचल के राज्यपाल | |
|---|---|
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| Style | His Excellency |
| Reports to | Rashtradhyaksh Government of Vishwamitra |
| Appointer | Rashtradhyaksh on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers and the Privy Council |
| Term length | At His Illustrious and Royal Majesty's pleasure |
| Constituting instrument | Governorship Act, 2023 |
| Formation | 2 January 2017 (first creation) 17 March 2023 (second creation) |
| First holder | Arnab Sil (first creation) Arnab Deka (second creation) |
The Governor of Purvanchal (Hindi: पूर्वांचल के राज्यपाल) is the vice-regal representative of the Rashtradhyaksh, the federal ruler and the union government in the state and the ceremonial deputy head of state of the state of Purvanchal who serves as the deputy to the Rajpramukh of Purvanchal, the hereditary executive ruler of the state. The governor is responsible for assisting the Rajpramukh and the state government in the discharge of the administrative and other functions. The governor is also eligible to act as the head of state in the case of the absence of the Rajpramukh.
The position of the governor first came into existence in 2017 after the bifurcation of Greater Guwahati state from North Guwahati. At the time of the first creation, the governor served as the head of state and was responsible for the entire administration of the state. Following Vishwamitra's transition to a monarchy in 2020, the responsibilities rendered by the state governors were transferred to the hereditary rulers known as Rajpramukhs.
In March 2023, the Governorship Bill, 2023 was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Deputy Prime Minister and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia and was subsequently passed by the parliament. The bill received royal assent on 17 March 2023 and thus became an act. Soon after receiving assent, following the provisions laid in the act, the governors of the states were appointed. Arnab Deka who had previously served as the Governor of Purvanchal on two other occasions was re-appointed to serve as the governor for a third term on 17 March 2023 and has since been serving in office.
History
First creation (2017–2020)
The first instance of the creation of governors of states can be traced to September 2016 when the position was created in North Guwahati and Beltola after their creations. In January 2017, following the passing of the North Guwahati State Re-organization Bill, 2017 by the Senate, the state of Greater Guwahati came into existence which in the course of time came to known as Brihattar Guwahati and Purvanchal. The administration of the state was placed under a presidential nominee, the governor who was designated as the head of state and de jure executive while the chief minister was the de facto executive and the head of the government.
Arnab Sil was appointed to serve as the first governor on 2 January 2017 and sworn-in into office on 11 January 2017. He remained in office until resigning from the position to join the union cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister on 12 April 2017. He was replaced by Rajdeep Deka.
On 2 February 2020, the role of the governor was replaced by the Governor-General who became the head of the dominion of Purvanchal. Prior to the appointment of the governor-general, most governors who were appointed were non-local to the state exception to the first office-holder. The position of governor was re-introduced in May 2020. The position remained in use till its abolition on 8 June 2020 following Vishwamitra's transition to a monarchy. The duties of the governor were transferred to the Rajpramukh of Purvanchal, who is the hereditary executive monarch of the state.
Second creation (2023–present)
The position of the governor came into existence for the second time in 2023 after the passage of the Governorship Act, 2023 by the Lok Sabha and its receiving royal assent on 17 March 2023. Under the provisions of the act, the governors are to be the vice-regal representative of the Rashtradhyaksh and shall serve as deputy to the hereditary state rulers and act as head of state whenever needed. Arnab Deka, who also holds the record of serving as the longest-serving governor of Purvanchal during the previous creation was appointed to serve as the first governor after the position's re-introduction on 17 March 2023.
Functions and role
The governor served as the head of state of Purvanchal between 2017 and 2020 having control over large range of responsibilities in the governance of the state. The functions of the governor included:
- discharging the day-to-day affairs of the state.
- maintain law and order and general administration of the state.
- communicate and brief the President about activities in the state.
- appoint the chief minister and other officials upon approval of the President.
Following the re-introduction of the position in March 2023, the functions of the governor have been reduced to largely ceremonial ones. The governor, being the vice-regal representative of the Rashtradhyaksh, shares their duties and functions with the Rajpramukh and performs the functions whenever needed as asked by the Rashtradhyaksh. The principal duty rendered by the governor is to act as a bridge in the communication between the state government and the central government and to relay information to the central government and to convey information from the central government to that of the state.
List
First creation (2017–2020)
- Titles
- 2 January – 7 May 2017: Governor of Greater Guwahati
- 7 May 2017 – 20 July 2017: Governor of Brihattar Guwahati
- 20 July 2019 – 3 February 2020: Governor of Purvanchal
- 3 February – 13 May 2020: Governor-General of Purvanchal
- 13 May – 7 June 2020: Governor of Purvanchal
| No. | Portrait | Name (born – died) |
Home state | Tenure in office | Prior positions held | Political party | Appointed by | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Time in office | ||||||||
| Governors of Purvanchal (2 January 2017 – 2 February 2020) Governors of Greater Guwahati (2 January – 7 May 2017) Governors of Brihattar Guwahati (7 May 2017 – 29 July 2019) Governors of Purvanchal (29 July 2019 – 2 February 2020) | ||||||||||
| 1 | 
|
Arnab Sil अर्नब सिल SR (born 2004) |
Greater Guwahati | 2 January 2017 |
12 April 2017 |
100 days |
|
Freedom Party | Sarala Baishya (Acting President) | |
| Leader of the Opposition at the time of appointment as the inaugural governor following the state's bifurcation from North Guwahati. Concurrently also served as the Governor of North Guwahati till 25 February 2017. Resigned as governor on 12 April 2017 to join the union council of ministers as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs. | ||||||||||
| 2 (1) |
|
Rajdeep Deka राजदीप डेका (born 2002) |
North Guwahati | 12 April 2017 |
7 May 2017 |
25 days | Independent Party | Dhrubajyoti Roy (President) | ||
| First term; Served as Minister of State, with independent charge, for Law and Justice in the outgoing council of ministers. Appointed as governor to succeed Arnab Sil who had resigned earlier. Continued to serve as governor of the state until being transferred and appointed as the Governor of Basistha on 7 May 2017. | ||||||||||
| 3 | 
|
Anoushkaa Patranabish अनुष्का पत्रनाबिश PR BR SR (born 2010) |
Beltola | 7 May 2017 |
5 July 2017 |
59 days |
|
Secular Party | Dhrubajyoti Roy (President) | |
| Governor of Beltola at the time of appointment. Transferred and subsequently appointed to serve as Governor of Brihattar Guwahati following the renaming of the state on 7 May 2017. Replaced Rajdeep Deka who was transferred as Governor of Basistha. Continued to serve as governor of the state until resigning from office on 5 July 2017 to contest election to the Sadasya Sabha and subsequently join the union council of ministers. | ||||||||||
| 4 | 
|
Arnab Deka अर्नब डेका (born 2002) |
Uttar Guwahati | 5 July 2017 |
4 February 2019 |
1 year, 214 days |
|
Secular Party | Dhrubajyoti Roy (President) Anoushkaa Patranabish (President) | |
| First and second term; Appointed as Governor of Brihattar Guwahati for the first time on 5 July 2017 and subsequently for a second consecutive term on 23 April 2018. Continued to serve as governor of the state until being transferred and subsequently appointed as Governor of Beltola on 4 February 2019. Till date, the longest-serving governor of the state. | ||||||||||
| 5 | 
|
Reshmi Hazarika रेशमी हज़ारिका (born 2003) |
Basistha | 4 February 2019 |
20 July 2019 |
166 days |
|
Independent | Dhrubajyoti Roy (President) | |
| Governor of Uttar Guwahati at the time of appointment as governor of Brihattar Guwahati. Transferred and subsequently appointed to serve a fresh term as the governor of the state on 4 February 2019. During this period, also discharged the duties of the Administrator of Basistha on acting basis from 18 March till 29 March 2019. Continued to serve as governor until being transferred and re-appointed as Governor of Uttar Guwahati for another term on 20 July 2019. Till date, holds the record of the longest serving state governor in the nation. | ||||||||||
| 6 | 
|
Anirban Phatowali अनिर्बान फतोवाली (born 2009) |
Uttar Guwahati/ Uttaranchal |
20 July 2019 |
1 September 2019 |
43 days |
|
Congress | Dhrubajyoti Roy (President) | |
| Governor of Madhya Guwahati at the time of appointment. Transferred and subsequently appointed as the Governor of Brihattar Guwahati on 20 July 2019 and subsequently became the Governor of Purvanchal upon the state's renaming on 29 July 2019. Continued to serve as governor until resigning from the position on 1 September 2019 to re-join the union council of ministers. | ||||||||||
| 2 (2) |
|
Rajdeep Deka राजदीप डेका (born 2002) Acting until 4 September 2019 |
Uttaranchal | 1 September 2019 |
9 December 2019 |
99 days |
|
Congress | Dhrubajyoti Roy (President) | |
| Second term; Governor of Kamrup Pradesh at the time of appointment. Initially assigned with additional charge as Governor of Purvanchal on 1 September 2019 following the resignation of incumbent Anirban Phatowali and subsequently transferred and appointed as Governor of Purvanchal for a full term on 4 September 2019. Tenure as governor marked by major political developments including imposition of President's rule in the state; played important and crucial role in re-introduction of the position of chief ministers and led the Governor's Committee following the disqualification of chief ministers as members of the parliament by the Supreme Court. Continued to serve as governor until resigning to join the union cabinet on 9 December 2019 in the wake of the unrest in several parts of neighbouring macronational territories. | ||||||||||
| 7 | 
|
Asmi Patranabis अस्मी पत्रनाबिस OC OSM FSR PR (born 2007) |
Beltola | 9 December 2019 |
2 February 2020 |
55 days |
|
Congress | Dhrubajyoti Roy (President) | |
| Appointed as Governor of Purvanchal following resignation from the union cabinet on 9 December 2019. Continued to serve as governor of the state until being transferred and appointed as the Governor-General of Beltola on 2 February 2020. | ||||||||||
| Governors-General of Purvanchal (2 February – 13 May 2020) | ||||||||||
| 8 | 
|
Bhargab Jyoti Medhi भार्गब ज्योति मेधी KV PC (born 2001) |
Purvanchal | 2 February 2020 |
13 May 2020 |
101 days |
|
Congress | Dhrubajyoti Roy (President) | |
| Governor of Beltola at time of appointment. Transferred and subsequently appointed as the first Governor-General of Purvanchal after changes in the federal structure and the position on 2 February 2020. Appointed to serve as a nominated member of the 12th Lok Sabha by the President in March 2020. Continued to remain in office until 13 May 2020. | ||||||||||
| Governors of Purvanchal (13 May – 7 June 2020) | ||||||||||
| 9 | 
|
Mohammad Mridul Amin मोहम्मद मृदुल अमीन (born 2002) |
Uttaranchal | 13 May 2020 |
7 June 2020 |
25 days |
|
Congress | Tanishkaa Patranabish (President) | |
| Appointed as the Governor of Purvanchal on 13 May 2020 following the re-establishment of the position and succeeded Bhargab Jyoti Medhi who served as the Governor-General of Purvanchal. Served as the last governor of the state and the last office-holder prior to the position's abolition on 8 June 2020 following the transition to the monarchy. | ||||||||||
| Position abolished on 8 June 2020 | ||||||||||
Second creation (2023–present)
The position of the Governor of Purvanchal was re-established by the Governorship Act, 2023 which received royal assent on 17 March 2023. Following the re-introduction of the position, the governor now serves the vice-regal representative of the Rashtradhyaksh of Vishwamitra. The inaugural holder of the office following the re-introduction is Arnab Deka who has been in office since 17 March 2023.
| No. | Portrait | Name (born – died) |
Home state | Tenure in office | Prior positions held | Appointed by | Rajpramukh | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 |
|
Tan Sri Dato Sri Utama Arnab Deka, Baron Deka अर्नब डेका SUVB SUMP DPBM DUMM DPUU SPDS RSP CSP (born 2002) |
Uttaranchal | 17 March 2023 |
Incumbent | 196 days |
|
Dhrubajyoti Roy (Rashtradhyaksh) |
Dhrubajyoti Roy Princess Sarala (Regent) |
| Appointed to serve as the first Governor of Purvanchal after the position's re-establishment in 2023. Previously served as two-time governor of the state and is also the longest-serving governor of the state. | |||||||||
Timeline
Time in office
- Longest serving: Arnab Deka (current, 2 years, 45 days)
- Shortest serving: Mridul Amin (25 days)
Below is the list of the governors of Purvanchal by total time in office:
- Arnab Deka – 2 years, 45 days
- Reshmi Hazarika – 166 days
- Rajdeep Deka – 124 days
- Bhargab Jyoti Medhi – 101 days
- Arnab Sil – 100 days
- Anoushkaa Patranabish – 59 days
- Asmi Patranabis – 55 days
- Anirban Phatowali – 43 days
- Mridul Amin – 25 days