Chennai: Senior BJP leader from Tamilnadu L Ganesan was on Sunday appointed as the new Governor of Manipur. The post of the Governor had fallen vacant after the retirement of Najma Heptulla earlier this month.
A communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said Ganesan will be the new Governor of Manipur with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.
Heptulla had demitted office on 10 August and on the same day the charge was given to Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad.
Ganesan becomes the second BJP leader from Tamilnadu to be made the Governor of a State in recent years. Former TN BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan, who was appointed Telangana Governor, now holds additional charge as Lt Governor of Puducherry too.
With deep roots in RSS, which he was part of from 1967-91, Ganesan joined the BJP in Tamilnadu in 1991 as general secretary – Organization. He remained in that post until 2003, before being elevated as BJP national vice president.
Ganesan returned to Tamilnadu as the party’s president of the state unit. He served the party in that post for three years. He was later nominated to Rajya Sabha by the party to serve the residual period, after Najma Heptullah was made Governor of Manipur. Ganesan served the upper house for 18 months.
Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday greeted Ganesan on his appointment as Governor of Manipur and pointed out that the senior BJP leader from the state had a long political experience.
In a tweet, the DMK President addressed Ganesan as an elder brother and recalled the BJP leader’s affectionate ties with his late father and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
Greetings to elder brother La Ganesan…who has a long political experience, Stalin said in the tweet.