On March 12, 2026, RN Ravi stepped into the 22nd governorship of West Bengal. He replaces CV Ananda Bose, who left the post on March 5 following a resignation that remains unexplained to the public. The oath took place at Lok Bhavan (formerly Raj Bhavan) in Kolkata, where Chief Justice Sujoy Paul of the Calcutta High Court oversaw the legal formalities.
Ravi enters a state known for friction between the central appointee and the local government, carrying a record of similar clashes from his previous post in Tamil Nadu.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the event alongside Biman Banerjee, the Assembly Speaker.
Biman Bose, Chairman of the Left Front, and Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty were present among the rows of bureaucrats.
Ravi’s arrival follows a gap of exactly one week after the seat was vacated.
THE UNKNOWN EXIT AND THE NEW HAND
The departure of CV Ananda Bose has left a thin fog over the administration. Bose served for three years and four months, a term marked by periodic disagreements with the state government regarding how the laws are run and who controls the streets. Upon leaving, Bose stated his reasons for quitting would stay "confidential" for the time being.
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"Bengal is a different place," Banerjee remarked to the new Governor, according to reports, even as she offered a public welcome.
The mechanics of this appointment are seen against the upcoming Assembly elections. Ravi is not new to the friction of federalism. In his previous role in the south, he faced a steady standoff with Chief Minister MK Stalin over how bills were signed or stalled.
TRACK RECORD OF THE GOVERNOR
Ravi is a former IPS officer with a background in the CBI, where he dealt with organized crime and anti-corruption work. His career as a Governor has spanned several volatile regions:
| State | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Nagaland | Governor | Focus on internal security/peace talks. |
| Meghalaya | Addl. Charge | Brief administrative oversight. |
| Tamil Nadu | Governor | Deep tension with the DMK government over legislative authority. |
| West Bengal | 22nd Governor | Taking over a seat historically at odds with the ruling TMC party. |
BACKGROUND: THE PERSISTENT STANDOFF
The role of Governor in West Bengal has shifted from a symbolic one to a point of daily political abrasion. Before Bose, the state saw a near-constant battle between the Chief Minister and Jagdeep Dhankhar. While Banerjee greeted Ravi with smiles on Thursday, her past rhetoric has been less soft; she once labeled the official a "parrot" of the central ruling party during his time in the south.
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Ravi’s background in intelligence and policing often colors how local leaders view his presence. He is expected to navigate a landscape where the state government and the central authority in Delhi rarely find a shared rhythm.