KolkataJul 14, 2025 19:57 IST
First published on: Jul 14, 2025 at 19:57 IST
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As part of the gubernatorial reshuffle undertaken by the Centre Monday, senior West Bengal BJP leader Ashim Kumar Ghosh, 81, has been appointed as the new Governor of Haryana. Ghosh is succeeding Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been serving as the Haryana Governor since July 2021.
A former professor, Ghosh served as the Bengal BJP president from 1999 to 2002. He taught political science in Kolkata’s Maharaja Srischandra College for more than three decades.
After being named the Haryana Governor, Ghosh said, “It’s a big responsibility. I am happy and also praying to God that I can deliver my responsibility properly as Haryana Governor. My main target will be to think about the development of Haryana and hear all stakeholders of the state.”
Ghosh, who had been associated with the RSS, joined the BJP in 1991, when the party did not have any presence in the then Left-ruled Bengal.
In 1998, the current Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, had founded her party after quitting the Congress, and went on to join the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA in 1999.
Ghosh rose through the BJP ranks, becoming the state unit’s secretary in 1996 and its vice-president in 1998. He had also been a member of its intellectual cell for many years.
From 2003 to 2005, Ghosh held the charge of the BJP’s observer for Tripura. He was a member of the BJP National Executive from 2004 to 2006.
Ghosh, who hails from Howrah district, had completed his Master’s in political science from Calcutta University.
The BJP-led central dispensation’s move to send Ghosh to the Haryana Raj Bhavan came as a surprise to many in Bengal political circles, but some observers said he has been “rewarded” for having been part of the party from its formative years in the state. The BJP is now the principal Opposition in Bengal, gearing up to take on the TMC in the coming Assembly polls due early next year.
In his reaction to Ghosh’s appointment, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “We are very happy that Ashim da got such a big opportunity. BJP workers and people of this state are also happy.”
Union minister and ex-state BJP chief Sukanta Majumder called Ghosh’s elevation a matter of “great pride, immense honour and joy” for the people of Bengal. “His (Ghosh’s) profound intellect, rich administrative experience, and unwavering commitment to public service have long been a source of inspiration for many…. I am confident that his visionary leadership will greatly contribute to the progress and welfare of the people of Haryana,” Majumder said in a social media post.