Governor of Madhya Prant
| Governor of Madhya Prant मध्यप्रांत के राज्यपाल | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Style | His/Her Excellency |
| Reports to | Rashtradhyaksh Government of Vishwamitra |
| Appointer | Rashtradhyaksh on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers and the Privy Council |
| Term length | At His Illustrious and Royal Majesty's pleasure |
| Constituting instrument | Governorship Act, 2023 |
| Formation | First creation: • 18 September 2016 (Lt. Governor) • 25 February 2017(Governor) Second creation: • 17 March 2023 |
| First holder | Sarala Baishya (Lt. Governor) Kalyan Dey (Governor, first creation) Mridul Amin (Governor, second creation) |
The Governor of Madhya Prant (Hindi: मध्यप्रांत के राज्यपाल) is the vice-regal representative of the Rashtradhyaksh, the federal ruler and the union government in the state and the ceremonial deputy head of state of the state of Madhya Prant who serves as the deputy to the Rajpramukh of Madhya Prant, the hereditary executive ruler of the state. The governor is responsible for assisting the Rajpramukh and the state government in the discharge of the administrative and other functions. The governor is also eligible to act as the head of state in the case of the absence of the Rajpramukh.
In September 2016, the position of the lieutenant governor first came into existence following the creation of the state of Central Guwahati. In February the next year, Central Guwahati was granted statehood and the position of the lieutenant governor was upgraded to that of the governor. At the time of the first creation, the governor served as the head of state and was responsible for the entire administration of the state. Following Vishwamitra's transition to a monarchy in 2020, the responsibilities rendered by the state governors were transferred to the hereditary rulers known as Rajpramukhs.
In March 2023, the Governorship Bill, 2023 was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Deputy Prime Minister and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia and was subsequently passed by the parliament. The bill received royal assent on 17 March 2023 and thus became an act. Soon after receiving assent, following the provisions laid in the act, the governors of the states were appointed. Mohammad Mridul Amin, the Rajpramukh Emeritus of Basistha was appointed to serve as the governor on 17 March 2023 and served in office till his resignation on 14 July 2023. The current governor is Reshmi Hazarika who was appointed on 5 November 2023.
History
First creation (2016–2020)
Immediately after the creation of Central Guwahati as an union territory in September 2016, the position of the lieutenant governor came into existence. The lieutenant governor, much like the governors of the other states discharged their functions as a presidential nominee except that the lieutenant governor served as both the head of state and the head of government. Sarala Baishya, Governor of the Federal Bank and former prime minister was appointed as the first lieutenant governor on 18 September 2016 and served till her resignation upon appointment as Acting President on 13 December 2016. Following her resignation, the Governor of South Guwahati served as the Administrator of Central Guwahati.
On 25 February 2017, the union cabinet passed the resolution to grant statehood to Central Guwahati following which Central Guwahati became the fourth state of the nation. Following the grant of statehood, the position of the lieutenant governor was upgraded to that of the governor who was a presidential nominee and was designated as the head of state and de jure executive while the chief minister was the de facto executive and the head of the government. Kalyan Dey, the last lieutenant governor was appointed as the governor of the state.
On 2 February 2020, the role of the governor was replaced by the Governor-General who became the head of the dominion of Madhya Prant. Prior to the appointment of the governor-general, all the governors who were appointed were non-local to the state. The position of governor was re-introduced in May 2020. The position remained in use till its abolition on 8 June 2020 following Vishwamitra's transition to a monarchy. The duties of the governor were transferred to the Rajpramukh of Madhya Prant, who is the hereditary executive monarch of the state.
Second creation (2023–present)
The position of the governor came into existence for the second time in 2023 after the passage of the Governorship Act, 2023 by the Lok Sabha and its receiving royal assent on 17 March 2023. Under the provisions of the act, the governors are to be the vice-regal representative of the Rashtradhyaksh and shall serve as deputy to the hereditary state rulers and act as head of state whenever needed. Mohammad Mridul Amin, the Rajpramukh Emeritus of Basistha was appointed as the first governor of the state after the position's re-introduction on 17 March 2023 and he remained in office until resigning on 14 July 2023. Thereupon, the Governor of Kamrupa Princess Bishakha was assigned the additional charge of the state. She held the additional charge of the governor of the state till the appointment of Ankurjyoti Thakuria on 18 July 2023. Thakuria served for about a month until 12 August 2023 when he was transferred as the Governor of Basistha. W. Pranit Singh was appointed in his place as Governor of Madhya Prant and remained in office until being replaced by Reshmi Hazarika on 5 November 2023.
List of governors
First creation (2016–2020)
| No. | Portrait | Name (born – died) |
Home state | Tenure in office | Immediate prior position held | Appointed by | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Time in office | |||||||
| Lieutenant Governor of Central Guwahati | |||||||||
| 1 | File:Sarala Baishya (2).jpg | Sarala Baishya (born 2005) |
South Guwahati | 18 September 2016 |
13 December 2016 |
86 days | Governor of the Federal Bank | Tanishkaa Patranabish (President) | |
| – | File:Portrait of Anoushkaa Patranabish in 2018.jpg | Anoushkaa Patranabish Governor of Beltola (born 2010) (Administrator) |
South Guwahati | 13 December 2016 |
30 December 2016 |
17 days | President of the Republic | Sarala Baishya (Acting President) | |
| Position vacant (30 December 2016 – 2 January 2017) | |||||||||
| 2 | Kalyan Dey (born 2001) |
Greater Guwahati | 2 January 2017 |
25 February 2017 |
54 days | None | Sarala Baishya (Acting President) | ||
| Governor of Central Guwahati | |||||||||
| (2) | Kalyan Dey (born 2001) |
Greater Guwahati | 25 February 2017 |
7 May 2017 |
71 days | Lieutenant Governor of Central Guwahati | Sarala Baishya (President) | ||
| Governor of Madhya Guwahati | |||||||||
| 3 | File:Reshmi Hazarika.jpg | Reshmi Hazarika (born 2003) |
Basistha | 7 May 2017 |
5 July 2017 |
59 days | None | Varuna Sriraya (President) | |
| 4 | File:Photo of Rajdeep Deka.jpg | Rajdeep Deka (born 2002) |
Brihattar Guwahati | 5 July 2017 |
23 April 2018 |
292 days | Governor of Basistha | ||
| 5 | Himprakash Deka (born 2003) |
Brihattar Guwahati | 23 April 2018 |
4 February 2019 |
287 days | Member of Parliament | Anoushkaa Patranabish (President) | ||
| (4) | File:Photo of Rajdeep Deka.jpg | Rajdeep Deka (born 2002) |
Brihattar Guwahati | 4 February 2019 |
15 June 2019 |
131 days | Member of Parliament | Varuna Sriraya (President) | |
| 6 | File:Anirban Phatowali new photo.jpg | Anirban Phatowali (born 2009) |
Uttar Guwahati | 15 June 2019 |
20 July 2019 |
35 days | Principal Secretary to the President | ||
| 7 | File:Arnab Deka in 2017.jpg | Arnab Deka (born 2002) |
Uttar Guwahati | 20 July 2019 |
29 July 2019 |
9 days | Governor of Beltola | ||
| Governor of Madhya Prant | |||||||||
| (7) | File:Arnab Deka in 2017.jpg | Arnab Deka (born 2002) |
Uttaranchal | 29 July 2019 |
4 September 2019 |
37 days | Governor of Madhya Guwahati | Varuna Sriraya (President) | |
| (3) | File:Reshmi Hazarika.jpg | Reshmi Hazarika (born 2003) |
Basistha | 4 September 2019 |
2 February 2020 |
151 days | Governor of Uttaranchal | ||
| Governor-General of Madhya Prant | |||||||||
| 8 | File:Saikat-Seal.PNG | Saikat Seal (born 2006) |
Purvanchal | 2 February 2020 |
13 May 2020 |
101 days | Lieutenant Governor of Kamrupa | Varuna Sriraya (President) | |
| Governor of Madhya Prant | |||||||||
| 9 | Nishwan Baidantic (born 2001) |
Madhya Prant | 13 May 2020 |
7 June 2020 |
25 days | Union Cabinet Minister for Education and Law and Justice | Varuna Sriraya (President) | ||
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Second creation (2023–present)
The position of the Governor of Madhya Prant was re-established by the Governorship Act, 2023 which received royal assent on 17 March 2023. Following the re-introduction of the position, the governor now serves the vice-regal representative of the Rashtradhyaksh of Vishwamitra. The inaugural holder of the office following the re-introduction was Mridul Amin, Rajpramukh Emeritus of Basistha who served in office until resigning on 14 July 2023. The current governor is Reshmi Hazarika who has been in office since 5 November 2023.
| No. | Portrait | Name (born – died) |
Home state | Tenure in office | Immediate prior position held | Appointed by | Rajpramukh | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | File:Mridul AminP.jpg | Maha Sri Dato Sri Paduka Mridul Amin (born 2003) |
Basistha | 17 March 2023 |
14 July 2023 |
119 days | Rajpramukh of Basistha (until 2021) | Varuna Sriraya (Rashtradhyaksh) |
Arnab Sil |
| – | File:Portrait of Princess Bishakha (2022).jpg | Her Serene Highness Bishakha, Senior Princess of Purvanchal Governor of Kamrupa (born 2013) (Additional Charge) |
Purvanchal | 14 July 2023 |
18 July 2023 |
4 days | Governor of Kamrupa (Continued) | ||
| 2 | File:Ankurjyoti Thakuria.jpg | Tan Sri Dato Utama Ankurjyoti Thakuria (born 2002) |
Kamrupa | 18 July 2023 |
12 August 2023 |
25 days | Senior Minister (until 2021) | ||
| 3 | File:Portrait of W. Pranit Singh.jpg | Tan Sri Dato Sri Utama W. Pranit Singh (born 2001) |
Basistha | 12 August 2023 |
4 November 2023 |
84 days | Union Cabinet Minister for Environment and Natural Resources | ||
| 4 | File:Reshmi Hazarika.jpg | Tan Sri Datin Sri Utama Reshmi Hazarika (born 2003) |
Basistha | 4 November 2023 |
Incumbent | 167 days | Governor of Uttaranchal | ||
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Trivia
Records
- Sarala Baishya was the first office-holder of the position of the Lieutenant Governor of the union territory.
- Rajdeep Deka holds the record of the longest-serving governor of the state with a tenure of total of 423 days in his two terms in office.
- Three females served as the governor - Sarala Baishya, Anoushkaa Patranabish (Acting) and Reshmi Hazarika.
- Nishwan Baidantic is the only local to be appointed as governor of the state.
Timeline
Time in office
- Longest serving: Rajdeep Deka (423 days)
- Shortest serving: Anoushkaa Patranabish (acting) (17 days)
Below is the list of the governors and lieutenant governors of Madhya Prant by total time in office:
- Rajdeep Deka – 423 days
- Himprakash Deka – 287 days
- Reshmi Hazarika – 210 days
- Kalyan Dey – 179 days
- Saikat Seal – 101 days
- Mridul Amin – 1 year, 33 days
- Sarala Baishya – 86 days
- Arnab Deka – 46 days
- Anirban Phatowali – 35 days
- Nishwan Baidantic – 25 days
- Anoushkaa Patranabish (acting) – 17 days