Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar assumes additional charge as Tamil Nadu Governor

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was sworn in as the Governor of Tamil Nadu on Thursday in a simple ceremony held at Lok Bhavan after being given additional charge of the post following a recent gubernatorial reshuffle .

Arlekar, who is also serving as the Governor of Kerala, will discharge the functions of the Tamil Nadu Governor until the Centre appoints a full-time incumbent. His appointment comes after R. N. Ravi was transferred to serve as the Governor of West Bengal as part of a broader reshuffle of Raj Bhavans announced by Droupadi Murmu.

On his arrival, Arlekar was welcomed by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari. Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam read out the Warrant of Appointment, following which Justice Dharmadhikari administered the oath of office.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, state ministers including K. N. Nehru, E. V. Velu, P. K. Sekar Babu and S. Regupathy, Union Minister of State L. Murugan and senior officials attended the ceremony.

Arlekar thus becomes the 27th Governor of Tamil Nadu , succeeding Ravi, whose tenure since September 2021 was marked by frequent differences with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government led by Stalin over issues such as pending bills and Assembly proceedings.

Before leaving the state to assume his new role, Ravi described his time in Tamil Nadu as deeply memorable. In a message to the people of the state, he said the 54 months he spent in office would remain “among the golden years” of his life , marked by “warmth, intellectual engagement and deep cultural exposure.”

Officials said Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will continue to hold charge of Tamil Nadu alongside his responsibilities in Kerala until a permanent appointment is made for the state’s Raj Bhavan. Under Article 153 of the Indian Constitution, the same person can serve as governor for two or more states simultaneously , allowing the Union government to ensure continuity of constitutional functions in a state pending a full-time appointment.