TMC, BJP, Cong trade barbs over Ravi’s appointment

Kolkata: Even before governor-designate Ravindra Narayana Ravi sets foot in Bengal, the election-eve appointment has triggered a political storm.

President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of C V Ananda Bose and appointed Ravi to replace him. On Friday, Ravi administered the oath of office to Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari as Chief Justice of Madras High Court. But it is not yet clear when Ravi will be sworn in as Bengal governor by Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul.


Given his stormy relationship with M K Stalin-led DMK govt, P Wilson, the party's Rajya Sabha MP, took to X to take a caustic dig at Ravi. "I am sad on two counts — firstly, that DMK is losing a star campaigner in the upcoming elections. R N Ravi was a constant reminder of BJP's intentions for Tamil Nadu. Secondly, I am sad for the people of West Bengal and my good friends at the Trinamool Congress. Wherever he goes, the casualty is the Constitution, federal structure and parliamentary democracy."

TMC's RS MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, citing recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission, took to X to post that state govts must be involved in the governor's appointment through the formation of panels. TMC MP Sagarika Ghose alleged that the Centre had violated the "basic grammar of federalism".

BJP's former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta said: "The President appoints the governor and the President acts on the advice of the council of ministers. Replacing C V Ananda Bose with R N Ravi is not an insult to anyone."

State finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Thursday hinted at Bose resigning under pressure. "Are they not in favor of getting the supplementary list out and enforcing President's rule?" she asked.

Joining the debate on X was senior Congress neta Jairam Ramesh. He wrote, "R N Ravi is very much part of the Modi ecosystem."