"BJP in power, they decide": Himachal minister on new Governors in states ahead of polls

Mar 07, 2026

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 7 : Himachal Pradesh Minister Chander Kumar on Friday stated that he has limited knowledge about the newly appointed governor of the state, Kavinder Gupta, who previously served as Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. His appointment will take effect after he assumes charge of the office.
He described the tenure of the previous governor, Shiv Pratap Shukla, as "quite good" while acknowledging minor issues regarding coordination with the state government.
"The tenure of the previous Governor was quite good. Coordination with the government on some bills was poor. This is a constitutional post, so it's not appropriate to comment too much on it. The BJP is in power at the centre, and they decide which Governor to appoint. I don't know much about the current Governor," he told ANI.
This follows a major administrative reshuffle of Governors and Lieutenant Governors across the country on Thursday by President Droupadi Murmu, just ahead of polls
According to an official communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday, Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has been named Governor of Telangana, while Kavinder Gupta, who resigned on Thursday as the Ladakh Lt Governor, has been appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
He also claimed that the state hasn't recieved the relief funding announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He alleged that the funding for the state has been delayed, with no communication on the 16th Finance Commission as well.
"As for our funding, the last time the Prime Minister visited Himachal during the disaster, he announced Rs 1,500 crore for relief...We thought we would receive the money quickly, but nothing has come yet," said the minister.
"Our Chief Minister met with the Finance Minister twice... Jairam Thakur also met, and the photo came out well, but only they know how much money we received," he added.