Chennai, March 6: In a significant gubernatorial reshuffle, R. N. Ravi has been transferred from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal, bringing an end to his politically eventful tenure in the southern state that was frequently marked by friction with the elected government.
The development follows the sudden resignation of outgoing West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose. The change was publicly announced on Thursday by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee through a post on X (Twitter).
According to official sources, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, currently the Governor of Kerala, will discharge the functions of Governor of Tamil Nadu as an additional charge until further arrangements are made.
Ravi, who assumed office as Governor of Tamil Nadu on September 18, 2021, served for about four-and-a-half years. His tenure remained in the spotlight due to repeated confrontations with the state government led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.
During this period, the Governor returned two bills passed by the state Assembly and withheld assent to ten others, prompting the Tamil Nadu government to convene three special Assembly sessions between 2022 and 2023 to re-enact all twelve bills without changes. The legislation was later forwarded to the President of India, a move that was subsequently challenged in court by the ruling party.
Ravi’s tenure also witnessed several unprecedented episodes, including his decision to walk out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly on four consecutive occasions. He also faced criticism for attempting to dismiss a minister without the Chief Minister’s approval and for declining to administer the oath to a minister at one stage.
Another flashpoint emerged when Ravi suggested that “Tamizhagam” would be a more appropriate name for the state than Tamil Nadu, triggering sharp political reactions.
Political exchanges between the Raj Bhavan and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) often spilled into the public domain. In one such remark, Stalin quipped that Ravi had effectively become the “chief campaigner” for the DMK, arguing that the Governor’s criticism of Dravidian ideology inadvertently helped highlight the party’s ideological position.
Observers noted that Ravi’s comments on cultural and ideological issues, including his assertion that Sanathana Dharma continues to guide the country, frequently sparked debate in Tamil Nadu’s political circles and added to the friction between the Raj Bhavan and the state government.
Born in April 1952 in Bihar, Ravi is a Kerala-cadre IPS officer with a long career in security and intelligence roles. He served as Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee in 2014 and was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor in 2018. He also played a key role as the Centre’s interlocutor in negotiations with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak‑Muivah).
With his transfer to West Bengal, political observers say the next phase of Ravi’s gubernatorial role will be closely watched, particularly given his high-profile and often contentious tenure in Tamil Nadu.
