Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar assumes additional charge as Tamil Nadu Governor

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who was appointed by President of India Droupadi Murmu on March 5, 2026 to discharge the functions of Governor of Tamil Nadu, assumed his gubernatorial office at Lok Bhavan in Chennai on Thursday (March 12).

Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari administered the oath of office to Mr. Arlekar. The outgoing Governor R.N. Ravi, who served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu for nearly 54 months since September 2021, has been posted as the Governor of West Bengal.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan, judges of the Madras High Court, Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly M. Appavu, some of the Cabinet Ministers, Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam, Director General of Police/Head of Police Force G. Venkataraman, Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A. Arun, and senior officials of the State government were present during the swearing-in ceremony.

After he assumed office, Mr. Stalin and Justice Dharmadhikari greeted Mr. Arlekar and his wife, Anagha Arlekar. The Chief Minister introduced Mr. Appavu and his Cabinet colleagues to the new Governor, while Justice Dharmadhikari introduced the judges of the Madras High Court.

Former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran, family members of Mr. Arlekar, Vice-Chancellors of State universities, and industrialists were among other prominent personalities who participated in the swearing-in ceremony.

Who is Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar?

Hailing from Goa, Mr. Arlekar assumed office as Governor of Kerala in January 2025. Prior to that, he served as Governor in Himachal Pradesh and then as Governor of Bihar. Before his gubernatorial roles, Mr. Arlekar was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and also served as the party’s Goa State president. He served as a legislator in the Goa Assembly and also as Speaker between 2012 and 2017.