Ashok Gajapathi Raju appointed Goa Governor

Highlights

Vizianagaram: Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former Union minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been appointed as the new Governor of...

Vizianagaram: Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former Union minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been appointed as the new Governor of Goa. President Droupadi Murmu issued orders on Monday, announcing new gubernatorial appointments for two states and a Union Territory.

Raju's elevation is seen as a significant political development, bringing a seasoned leader with a reputation for discipline and honesty into a key constitutional role. Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is reported to have proposed his name for the coveted post offered by the Union government.

A scion of the Vizianagaram Samsthanam royal family, Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been active in politics for over 45 years. He first entered the Legislative Assembly in 1978, winning on behalf of the Janata Party.

Following an invitation from TDP founder NT Rama Rao, he joined the TDP and consecutively won the Vizianagaram Assembly constituency in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2009.

During this period, he served as a Minister for Revenue and Finance in the Cabinets of both NT Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu. In 2014, he was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency and subsequently served as the Union Minister for Civil Aviation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet.

Known for his simplicity and untainted political career, Raju carved a niche for himself in Telugu politics. His appointment has been met with enthusiasm among locals and party cadres, who are celebrating the occasion of ‘Raja of Vizianagaram stepping into Raj Bhavan’ in a grand way.

With this appointment, Ashok Gajapathi Raju becomes the second prominent figure from Andhra Pradesh to hold a gubernatorial position in recent times, following Hari Babu of Visakhapatnam, who currently serves as the Governor of Odisha.