Meet Ramesh Bais, the new governor of Maharashtra

Bais started his political career by being elected as a councillor from Raipur Municipal Corporation in 1978 for the first time. Within two years, he was elected as an MLA from Mandir Hasod Constituency. In 1989, he successfully contested the Lok Sabha polls and continued to work as a parliamentarian till 2019. Born on August 2, 1947, Bais was the governor of Tripura before assuming the new role in the eastern state

Mumbai: After accepting Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s resignation, President Droupadi Murmu appointed 75-year-old Ramesh Bais as the new governor of Maharashtra. He was serving as Jharkhand governor, from July 2021 till Sunday, when he was sent to Maharashtra with his new post.

His around a year and eight months tenure as governor of Jharkhand will also be remembered for a political showdown. Chief minister Hemant Soren and the ruling coalition in the state accused him of destabilising the democratically elected government and of creating an atmosphere of political uncertainty. (PTI)

Bais is expected to take charge in the next few days. Till then, Koshyari will continue as the incumbent governor of the state, officials said.

The 75-year-old comes from Chhattisgarh and was a seven-term member of parliament from the Raipur Lok Sabha constituency. He was chosen as a union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government between 1999 and 2004. He served as the union minister of state for steel and mines, chemicals and fertilisers, information and broadcasting, and environment and forests (independent charge).

Once considered for the post of Chhattisgarh chief minister, he was also the former BJP vice-president of the party’s MP unit. Apart from an interest in agriculture, he also served as the president of the Chhattisgarh Archery Olympic Association.

His around a year and eight months tenure as governor of Jharkhand will also be remembered for a political showdown. Chief minister Hemant Soren and the ruling coalition in the state accused him of destabilising the democratically elected government and of creating an atmosphere of political uncertainty. Last month, Bais sent the ‘1932 Khatiyan Bill’ back to the Hemant Soren government for reconsideration, describing it to be violative of Article 16 of the Constitution and court rulings.

In November last year, Bais returned the Jharkhand Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to the state government with a slew of suggestions and directions to make changes accordingly.