VP election: CP Radhakrishnan demits office; Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat gets additional charge of Maharashtra | India News

NEW DELHI: Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat has been appointed to discharge the functions of the governor of Maharashtra following C P Radhakrishnan’s election as India’s next Vice-President. In a statement on Thursday, Rashtrapati Bhavan said, “Consequent upon demitting the office of Governor of Maharashtra by C P Radhakrishnan due to his election as the Vice-President of India, the President of India has appointed Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat, to discharge the functions of the Governor of Maharashtra, in addition to his own duties.”Acharya Devvrat took oath as the 20th governor of Gujarat in July 2019. C P Radhakrishnan, who has demitted the office of Maharashtra governor, was the NDA nominee for the vice-presidential election. He defeated opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy by 152 votes in Tuesday’s VP election. The contest was necessitated by the sudden resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21. Taking over as Maharashtra governor in July 2024, Radhakrishnan recalled his “unique experience” of working with two chief ministers in a short span. “When I took charge, the present Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the Chief Minister and the present Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was the Deputy Chief Minister. Later, their roles were reversed. Yet, their cordial relationship and teamwork spoke volumes about the political culture of this great state,” he said. Expressing gratitude, Radhakrishnan noted, “I feel privileged that after former President Shankar Dayal Sharma, I too have the opportunity of moving from the post of Governor of Maharashtra to that of the Vice-President of India.”