West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has resigned after three-and-a-half years in office, just weeks before the state legislative elections. He was in the national capital, Delhi, when he resigned.
Bose confirmed his resignation to news agency PTI that he had “spent enough time in the governor’s office.” but, He did not reveal the reasons for his sudden resignation or whether there was any political pressure that might have prompted it.
He shared a frosty relationship with the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee, with several disagreements with the government on a range of issues. On several occasions, the Governor has criticized the performance of the state government under Banerjee, especially with regard to the law and order situation, which has drawn strong reactions from the TMC leadership since his appointment to the post in November 2022.
CV Ananda Bose vs Mamata Banerjee
Raj Bhawan ‘not safe’: The relationship between CV Ananda Bose and Mamata Banerjee seemed to have hit rock bottom in May 2024, when a Raj Bhavan functionary raised allegations of sexual assault against the governor, and the TMC leadership, including the chief minister, targeted the governor.
“Women told me that they do not feel safe visiting Raj Bhavan due to the recent incidents reported there,” Banerjee said. The Governor approached the Calcutta High Court and filed a defamation case against the Prime Minister.
Social boycott: after The rape incident at RG Kar Medical College in September 2024 and the subsequent administrative impasse, CV Ananda Bose declared a “social boycott” of the Prime Minister, referring to Mamata Banerjee as “Lady Macbeth”.
The issue of universities: There has been a long-running dispute between Mamata Banerjee and CV Ananda Bose over the appointment of vice-chancellors of government universities. The Supreme Court repeatedly intervened and urged both parties to resolve the issue through dialogue. The issue was later resolved as Bose gave the green light to the appointments made by the TMC government.
Law and order: Law and order in West Bengal was something over which there were regular disputes between Bose and Banerjee. The governor has often issued ultimatums to the state government over attacks on opposition leaders and communal violence in areas like Murshidabad.
Traffic issue: Conflicts arose over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of the state’s voter list. Bose intervened in the matter after the Indian Army alleged that a senior officer was being unfairly targeted for political reasons. This happened after Mamata Banerjee alleged that the said officer was helping the BJP revise the voter list.
