Jammu and Kashmir: Manoj Sinha appointed as new Lieutenant Governor after GC Murmu resigns
Manoj Sinha is now the new Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Murmu submitted his resignation to President Kovind on Wednesday.
FollowNew Delhi: Hours after Gireesh Chandra Murmu resigned from the post, former Union minister and senior BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, Manoj Sinha, was on Thursday appointed as Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
A communique issued by the President's secretariat said that the resignation of Girish Chandra Murmu as Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir has been accepted.
The communique issued by the President's press secretary Ajay Kumar said "the President has been pleased to appoint Shri Manoj Sinha, to be the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office" in place of Murmu.
Murmu had taken oath as the first L-G Jammu & Kashmir on October 31, 2019. His resignation comes exactly a year after the Centre abrogated the special status of erstwhile state and decided to bifurcate it into two Union Territories.
The sources in the government said Murmu may be appointed the Comptroller and Auditor General now. Rajiv Mehrishi, who is the CAG now, is scheduled to complete his term this week. Sources in Srinagar said the L-G’s office cancelled a scheduled meeting with a media delegation from New Delhi late afternoon. All other meetings scheduled in the evening were also cancelled. He left for Jammu from Srinagar Wednesday evening, and is likely to be in New Delhi on Thursday.
The 61-year-old Sinha was born on July 1, 1959 in Mohanpura of Ghazipur district of eastern UP and has been actively involved in working for the backward villages of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
His political career started when he was elected the president of Banaras Hindu University Students Union in 1982. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1996 and repeated the term in 1999.
Sinha has been a member of the BJP national council from 1989 to 1996. He was elected to the Lower House for a third term in national politics when the BJP swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
He was former Minister of State for Railways and later held an independent charge of the Ministry of Communication.
