Father-Family: In Governors-CMs sparring season, Andhra presents a picture in contrast

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy heaped praises on the outgoing governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, calling him a fatherly figure and a well-wisher, and hailing his guidance to the state in the last three and a half years as exemplary.

In response, Harichandan, who was moved to Chhattisgarh in the recent reshuffle of governors, stated "affectionate AP his second home and Jagan a family member.”

Even as his neighbours, Telangana's K Chandrasekhar Rao, Tamil Nadu's M K Stalin, and other non-BJP CMs like Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal and Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan are seen in dispute with the incumbent Governors, Lt Governors in their respective states over various matters, with questions being raised about the utility of the Raj Bhavan institution, Reddy said that Harichandan brought richness to the office.

“At a time when relations between some state governments and governors there were marred by controversies, our state presented an entirely different situation. Harichandan brought a high level of decorum, and dignity to the post, facilitating coordination between constitutional bodies and providing valuable guidance in the state's development,” Reddy said at the Athmeeya-veedkolu (affectionate-farewell), a special event organized by the YSRCP government in honour of Harichandan in Vijayawada on Tuesday.

In the BRS inaugural rally last month at Khammam, a town near to Andhra border, attended by Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Vijayan, and others, a common grievance raised by the chief ministers in their speeches was “the misuse of Governor's, Lt Governor's offices and troubling of state governments.”

In total contrast, Jagan announced that he received “sampoorna sahakaaram (full cooperation)” from Governor Harichandan.

Harichandan reciprocated, stating that Andhra Pradesh became his second home and that he was overwhelmed by the “immense respect, love and affection shown towards him by the Chief Minister and the state's people."

Harichandan was also in admiration of Jagan's “welfare-oriented governance, that left out no section of the society.”

The much contentious AP three capitals legislation of 2020 was among the bills approved by Harichandan. The act, later challenged in the courts, was eventually revoked by the Jagan government in 2021.

Unlike several other non-BJP CMs, Jagan shares an unhostile relationship with BJP leadership and often meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Harichandan, a five-time MLA, who also served as a cabinet minister in Odisha, was made the AP governor in July 2019, soon after Jagan became the CM.

Former Supreme Court judge Abdul Nazeer will take over as AP governor on Friday.

Reddy, who gave a warm send-off to Harichandan and his wife at the Gannavaram airport on Wednesday morning, received the new governor designate Nazeer at the same place in the evening.