Ananda Bose’s sudden resignation as West Bengal governor amid a major cabinet reshuffle and appointment of RN Ravi as his successor has turned into a political tussle, with Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee claiming that Bose resigned “under pressure” from the BJP, just weeks before the state assembly elections.
Bose’s unexpected resignation prompted Mamata to claim that the Bengal governor may have been pressured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to “serve certain political interests” ahead of the elections.
In a later statement on Saturday, she described incoming governor Ravi as a “BJP cadre” and added to her earlier claim, stating that Bose’s exit was a result of pressure from the Centre.
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“Did you see how Ananda Bose’s resume was removed? I know everything. He was threatened. They want to distribute money from Lok Bhavan. They want to turn Lok Bhavan into a BJP office. But everyone may not agree to such whims and delusions in Delhi,” Mamata alleged.
She further alleged that the Center does not allow anyone to complete their term. “I did the same with Jagdeep Dhankar,” she said, referring to the former Bengal governor who later became Vice President.
Ananda Bose Biography Illustration
However, Ananda Bose refuted Mamata’s claims, terming the decision to step down a “conscious” one, adding that the reasons for the resignation will remain confidential until the right time comes.
In response to a question about resigning, Boss shared a sports analogy, saying: “There is a rule in sports. The rules of the game are also knowing when the game is over. When there is an in, as governor, I knew there would be an exit. I had the opportunity to decide for myself, and I decided to resign.”
He also said that he completed 1,200 days as the ruler of Bengal, or in other words, “12 centuries in cricket”. He added, “That’s enough. There is time to stop. I think this is the right time for me to go to the exit.”
On Friday, a day after resigning, Bose said he would move to Kerala, his home state, to work at Fixit Bharat.
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In a post on the
“My innings in West Bengal is coming to an end. I am deeply indebted to the great people of Bengal for the affection and appreciation showered upon me,” he said in a social media post.
Mamata’s attack on the new Bengal governor Ravi
Describing RN Ravi as a “BJP cadre”, Mamata criticized the governor’s tenure in Tamil Nadu, claiming that the governor faced “many comments” from the Supreme Court.
“The person who is coming to West Bengal now, I heard he had to face many comments from the Supreme Court. He is a BJP cadre. But remember, West Bengal is a different place. You may have done what you wanted in Tamil Nadu, but here you cannot do that,” Banerjee said, without mentioning specific cases.
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Earlier on March 5, while reacting to Bose’s exit and Ravi’s appointment, Mamata said she was “never consulted” about the appointment, adding that “such actions undermine the spirit of the Constitution”.
Ravi made headlines in Tamil Nadu for his controversies and often open opposition to the DMK government in the state. The governor and the prime minister disagreed over a range of reasons, including the appointment of vice-chancellors of state-run universities, the governor’s approval of bills and even a legal battle in the Supreme Court.
