Bengal Guv Ananda Bose's abrupt exit after enrolling as Bengal voter baffles many

In a significant turn of events, C V Ananda Bose on Thursday (March 5) resigned as the governor of West Bengal, abruptly ending his term nearly 20 months before the scheduled time and ahead of the state’s Assembly elections, a move that has triggered political speculation over the circumstances behind his exit. What left the political observers perplexed was that Bose had even enrolled himself as a voter in Bengal.

Officials at the Lok Bhavan (formerly Raj Bhavan) said Bose, who was in New Delhi, sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu earlier in the day.

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Bose declined to elaborate on the reasons for his decision, telling a news agency that he had “spent enough time at Raj Bhavan”.

However, the brief remark did little to quell speculation, particularly as Bose had only recently enrolled himself as a voter in the state, a move widely interpreted as signalling that he did not intend to leave the state ahead of the upcoming elections.

Bose's 'inconsistent' approach irked Centre?

The sudden resignation comes amid a politically sensitive backdrop. The Federal had reported last year, suggesting that sections of the central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party were unhappy with what they viewed as Bose’s “blow hot, blow cold” approach in dealing with the state’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) government led by Mamata Banerjee.

There were discussions within the BJP about the possibility of curtailing Bose’s tenure amid shifting equations between the Lok Bhavan and the state government.

The development also comes on the eve of Murmu’s two-day visit to Bengal to attend official programmes in Darjeeling in north Bengal, including the launch of the Darjeeling Hill Festival, marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram and the 9th International Santal Conference.

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Bose, a former Indian Administrative Service officer, assumed office as Bengal's 21st governor in November 2022 and was expected to serve till November 2027.

Following his resignation, R N Ravi, the governor of Tamil Nadu, will hold additional charge of the state until further arrangements are made, officials said.

'Shocked' Trinamool reacts

The ruling TMC, despite its frequent clashes with Bose, was stunned by the development, with CM Banerjee saying she was “shocked and deeply concerned”.

“The reasons behind his resignation are not known to me at this moment. However, given the prevailing circumstances, I would not be surprised if the Governor has been subjected to some pressure from the Union Home Minister to serve certain political interests on the eve of the forthcoming State Assembly elections,” she posted on X.

Banerjee added that the Centre had informed her that Ravi would be given additional charge but that she had not been consulted, which she said went against established conventions.

“Such actions undermine the spirit of the Constitution of India and strike at the very foundation of our federal structure. The Centre must respect the principles of cooperative federalism and refrain from taking unilateral decisions that erode democratic conventions and the dignity of states,” the chief minister added.

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Shashi Panja, senior state minister and national spokesperson of the TMC, also reacted to the resignation, calling it “truly shocking”. She said the party was “deeply anguished” by Bose’s stepping down and questioned the intent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

Referring to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Panja asked what his "nefarious objective " was in making the governor quit just ahead of the state polls? She also asked whether the Centre was planning to impose President’s Rule in Bengal.

State and Bose came closer in recent times

During much of his tenure, Bose had confrontations with the state government over issues ranging from university appointments to pending legislation, reflecting the often-fraught relationship between opposition-ruled states and the Centre.

In recent months, however, there were signs of a thaw between the Lok Bhavan and the state administration.

The governor had also cleared the appointment of several vice-chancellors in state-run universities, a move widely seen as part of a broader reconciliation with the state government after months of stalemate between the Lok Bhavan and the administration over control of universities.

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Bose had also taken up with the central government the issue of pending funds for Bengal, including unpaid wages under the rural employment guarantee scheme, after representations from the state’s ruling party leadership.

This move too was seen by political observers as part of a more conciliatory phase in relations between the Lok Bhavan and the state government after months of confrontation over several issues, including university administration and legislative matters.

In January, Bose also backed the chief minister, saying she had every right to express her concerns over a democratic process, supporting her apprehensions over the state's controversial Special Intensive Revision exercise.