President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday appointed senior Jharkhand BJP leader Braj Mohan Ram as the new Governor of Odisha. He will take over from the incumbent Governor, Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati.
The appointment was part of a larger reshuffle of Governors announced by Rashtrapati Bhavan for six states — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. The changes will take effect from the dates the appointees assume charge of their respective offices.
Braj Mohan Ram, 68, is a well-known figure in Jharkhand politics. Born on January 1, 1958, in Chandwa in Palamu district, he completed his graduation from Ranchi University. He was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1991 and served until 1995, when the region was still part of undivided Bihar. Jharkhand was carved out as a separate state in November 2000.
He later represented the Palamu Lok Sabha constituency on a BJP ticket for three consecutive terms, winning elections in 1996, 1998 and 1999. During his years in Parliament, he served on several committees dealing with power, coal, railways and other key sectors. Apart from politics, he has been actively involved in social activities.
His appointment is expected to draw attention in Odisha’s political circles, given his long association with the BJP and the fact that he hails from the neighbouring state of Jharkhand. The formal swearing-in ceremony will be held in Bhubaneswar after he assumes charge.
The President’s office also appointed Om Prakash Mathur as Governor of Kerala, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as Governor of Tamil Nadu, Dr Sudha Yadav as Governor of Karnataka, Dr Dhal Singh Bisen as Governor of Uttarakhand, and Dushyant Gautam as Governor of Sikkim.
