Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari says he wants to resign

Under fire from Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for his comments on legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has expressed his desire to step down.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mumbai, the Governor met him separately and offered to step down. “I want to spend the rest of my life reading, writing,” the Governor told the Prime Minister.

In a press statement, Koshyari himself confirmed that he wants to step down.

“It was an absolute honour and privilege for me to serve as the Rajya Sevak or Rajyapal of a great State like Maharashtra – the land of saints, social reformers and valiant fighters,” said Koshyari.

“I can never forget the love and affection I have received from the people of Maharashtra during the last little more than 3 years. During the recent visit of the Prime Minister to Mumbai, I have conveyed to him my desire to be discharged of all political responsibilities and to spend the remainder of my life in reading, writing and other activities,” he said.

“I have always received the love and affection from the Prime Minister and I hope to receive the same in this regard,” Koshyari stated in the press release issued by Raj Bhavan.

At the convocation ceremony of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad in November, Koshyari had said, “…Earlier, when you would be asked who is your icon - Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi used to be the answers. In Maharashtra, you need not look elsewhere as there are so many icons here. While Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is of olden days, there are Babasaheb Ambedkar and Nitin Gadkari who are heroes of present days.”

The MVA had even staged a mammoth morcha against him in Mumbai.

After the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections, Koshyari administered the oath to Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister for the second time and NCP leader Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister. Since then the relations between Koshyari and MVA leadership took a beating. The MVA had even staged a mammoth morcha last month against him in Mumbai.

Reaching to the development, state forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “What I have heard is that he has offered to step down, I am not sure whether he has sent any letter.”

MVA leaders, however, pointed out that instead of telling the Prime Minister, Koshyari should have addressed the President.

“He should have been removed by the Centre,” state Congress president Nana Patole said.

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, “Koshyari ji surely knows that the position of a Governor is constitutional and not political. If he believed so, he would have written to the President of India to discharge him of all his constitutional responsibilities.”