Six States Get New Governors: Arlekar Moves to Tamil Nadu, Mathur to Keralam

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar moves to Tamil Nadu, Om Prakash Mathur to Keralam; Sudha Yadav, Dhal Singh Bisen, Braj Mohan Ram and Dushyant Gautam get new assignments

By: Javid Amin | 13 October 2026

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has announced a reshuffle of Governors in six states, combining the transfer of two serving Governors with four fresh appointments. The changes, announced by Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 12, include new appointments for Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Sikkim, alongside changes in the gubernatorial assignments for Keralam and Tamil Nadu.

Under the reshuffle, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who was serving as Governor of Keralam, has been appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu. Om Prakash Mathur, previously Governor of Sikkim, will move to Keralam. The four new appointees are Braj Mohan Ram for Odisha, Dr Sudha Yadav for Karnataka, Dr Dhal Singh Bisen for Uttarakhand and Dushyant Gautam for Sikkim.

The appointments will take effect from the dates on which the appointees assume charge of their respective offices, according to the official communiqué.

Full List of New Governors Announced by President Murmu

Source: Rashtrapati Bhavan press communiqué dated October 12, 2026.

Why the Governor reshuffle matters

Governors occupy an important position in India’s constitutional system. They are appointed by the President and serve as the constitutional heads of their respective states. Their responsibilities include appointing a Chief Minister when required, summoning and proroguing the state legislature, and acting on the advice of the elected government in matters where the Constitution provides for such advice.

The office can also become politically significant when questions arise over the passage of Bills, the formation of governments, or the relationship between a state administration and the Union government. Governors are expected to discharge their responsibilities within the constitutional framework, even as their appointments are made by the President.

The latest reshuffle changes the occupants of six Raj Bhavans, but the immediate administrative impact will depend on when the appointees assume office and how they work with the respective state governments.

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has been appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu after serving as Governor of Keralam. His appointment formalises his assignment in Tamil Nadu, where he had been discharging the Governor’s functions under an additional-charge arrangement since March 2026, following R. N. Ravi’s transfer to West Bengal.

The change comes at a politically important time for Tamil Nadu, where relations between the Raj Bhavan and elected governments have featured in public debate over constitutional responsibilities and the role of the Governor.

Arlekar’s appointment gives Tamil Nadu a designated Governor rather than continuing the additional-charge arrangement. His tenure will be closely watched for how the constitutional office functions alongside the state’s elected leadership.

The appointment itself does not indicate any change in the state’s elected government or its legislative mandate. It is an administrative and constitutional appointment under the established process for selecting Governors.

Om Prakash Mathur moves from Sikkim to Keralam

Om Prakash Mathur, who was serving as Governor of Sikkim, has been appointed Governor of Keralam. His transfer means that Keralam will have a new Governor, while Sikkim receives a fresh appointee.

Mathur’s new assignment places him in a state where the Governor’s office operates alongside a politically active elected government and a legislature with its own legislative priorities. As with other states, the role requires adherence to constitutional procedures and the established division of responsibilities between the Governor and the elected Council of Ministers.

The official announcement does not provide a separate explanation for the transfer. Any claim about the political motivation behind the appointment would therefore require additional evidence rather than inference from the reshuffle alone.

Braj Mohan Ram appointed Governor of Odisha

Braj Mohan Ram has been appointed Governor of Odisha, succeeding Hari Babu Kambhampati. Ram is a former three-time Lok Sabha member from the Palamu constituency, now in Jharkhand, and previously served in the Bihar Legislative Assembly before Jharkhand was carved out as a separate state in 2000.

Ram entered electoral politics in the early 1990s and was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996, 1998 and 1999. His political career has been associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party and representation from the Palamu region.

As Governor, his responsibilities will centre on the constitutional administration of the state rather than day-to-day political or executive policymaking, which rests with the elected government and its Council of Ministers, subject to the Constitution.

His appointment also brings a political figure with a background in parliamentary and state legislative politics to the Odisha Raj Bhavan.

Dr Sudha Yadav appointed Governor of Karnataka

Dr Sudha Yadav has been appointed Governor of Karnataka, succeeding Thaawarchand Gehlot. Yadav is a former BJP parliamentarian from Haryana and has also served in public and organisational roles. Her appointment is among the four fresh gubernatorial selections announced by the President.

Yadav’s public profile includes her connection to the Kargil War: her husband, an Indian Army officer, was killed during the conflict. She subsequently entered public life and became involved in politics.

Her appointment places her in Karnataka, a state with a large economy, an active legislature and significant policy responsibilities spanning technology, manufacturing, agriculture, education and urban development.

As with other Governors, the central constitutional task will be to discharge the office impartially and in accordance with the Constitution while maintaining the prescribed relationship with the elected state government.

Dr Dhal Singh Bisen appointed Governor of Uttarakhand

Dr Dhal Singh Bisen has been appointed Governor of Uttarakhand, succeeding Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.). Bisen is a former parliamentarian from Madhya Pradesh with a background in state and national politics.

Uttarakhand’s governance agenda includes issues linked to its Himalayan geography, disaster preparedness, tourism, infrastructure, migration from hill districts and environmental protection. The Governor’s constitutional role is distinct from the elected government’s executive responsibilities, but the office remains part of the state’s broader institutional framework.

Bisen’s appointment is one of four fresh selections in the October reshuffle. The official communiqué does not state the reasons for choosing individual appointees.

Dushyant Gautam appointed Governor of Sikkim

Dushyant Gautam has been appointed Governor of Sikkim, replacing Om Prakash Mathur, who has been transferred to Keralam. Gautam is a BJP leader who has held organisational responsibilities within the party.

Sikkim’s geographical position in the eastern Himalayas gives the state particular importance in discussions involving border infrastructure, environmental protection, tourism and disaster management. Its small population and mountainous terrain also create distinctive administrative requirements.

Gautam’s appointment completes the reshuffle in Sikkim. As Governor, his duties will be governed by the Constitution and the applicable conventions regulating relations between the Raj Bhavan and the elected government.

Four fresh appointments and two transfers

The October 12 announcement is best understood as a combination of fresh appointments and transfers rather than six entirely new appointments.

Arlekar and Mathur are serving Governors being assigned to different states. The other four names, Ram, Yadav, Bisen and Gautam, represent fresh appointments to the gubernatorial offices listed in the communiqué.

The distinction matters because transfers change the allocation of responsibilities among serving Governors, while fresh appointments bring new officeholders into the respective positions. In each case, the formal assumption of charge remains the operative date specified by the President’s communiqué.

The announcement does not, by itself, establish a single political reason for all six decisions. The appointments can be reported as official administrative changes, while explanations about their broader political significance should be attributed to identified analysts or sources.

What happens next?

The next step is for the appointees to assume charge of their respective offices. Until then, the appointments take effect according to the terms laid down in the official announcement.

The incoming Governors will take up their constitutional responsibilities in states with different political, economic and administrative priorities. Their work will involve the functioning of the legislature, constitutional procedures and the relationship between the Raj Bhavan and the elected government.

The reshuffle also highlights the continuing importance of the Governor’s office in India’s federal system. While Governors are appointed by the President, state governments are formed through the democratic process and exercise executive authority within the constitutional framework.

The official communiqué announces the appointments but does not provide a detailed rationale for each selection. The impact of the reshuffle will become clearer as the appointees assume office and begin their respective tenures.

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