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Will work as Hemant Soren’s colleague, says Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais
The new governor said he held a constitutional post and would take Centre’s help for issues related to Jharkhand’s development as per the laid down procedures.
Ramesh Bais, who took oath as Jharkhand’s 10th governor in capital Ranchi on Wednesday, said his entire focus will be on betterment of people and he will work in coordination with the chief minister of the state.
Replying to a specific question about possible confrontation with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led state government owing to his long political career in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition, Bais said, “I don’t care much about what others have to say about me. I believe in doing my work and I am confident that people of Jharkhand will be happy with my work.”
Bais is a BJP veteran who represented Raipur, Chhattisgarh’s capital, seven times in Lok Sabha and was later made the governor of Tripura after the 2019 general elections.
Bais said “party feeling” should be restricted till the time of election and development should be the only focus after it. The new governor said he held a constitutional post and would take Centre’s help for issues related to the state’s development as per the laid down procedures.
“Today is my first day in office and I told the chief minister we can discuss the issues related to the state whenever he is free. I assured him that I would always work with him as a colleague,” he added.
Bais took over the gubernatorial post from former governor Droupadi Murmu who served for more than six years in Jharkhand Raj Bhawan. In her last media interaction, Murmu said she had briefed the new governor about the controversial notification of Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) rules 2021 by the Hemant Soren government, transferring the authority to constitute the TAC from the office of the governor to the chief minister.
Speaking to reporters after the governor’s oath ceremony, chief minister Hemant Soren said, “I hope the long (political) experience of the governor will be beneficial for the state.”
Jharkhand Congress chief and finance minister Rameshwar Oraon said he hoped the new governor would work for betterment of the tribes in the state. Congress is a partner in the state’s coalition government led by the JMM.
“Jharkhand is a fifth scheduled state owing to its large tribal population. Governors are guardians of the scheduled areas. I hope he will work for the betterment of the tribes,” Oraon said.
