Om Prakash Mathur arrives in Kerala, to be sworn in as Governor on Friday
Kerala Governor-designate Om Prakash Mathur arrived in the state capital on Thursday night, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony at the Lok Bhavan.
IANS
Oct 22, 2026 10:33
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Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 22 (IANS) Kerala Governor-designate Om Prakash Mathur arrived in the state capital on Thursday night, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony at the Lok Bhavan.
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and BJP legislator and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan were among those who received Mathur at the airport.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Lok Bhavan auditorium at 12.15 p.m. on Friday.
Mathur, 74, succeeds Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who was given an official farewell by the state government at a dinner hosted at a hotel here earlier on Thursday.
Satheesan and his team also saw off the outgoing Governor at the airport.
The arrival of Mathur and the departure of Arlekar marked the formal transition at Lok Bhavan, with the state government extending courtesies to both the incoming and outgoing Governors.
In his remarks at the farewell dinner, Satheesan said the government had enjoyed a warm relationship with Arlekar.
He conveyed the gratitude of the government and the people of Kerala and wished him success in his new endeavours.
Home Minister Chennithala said Arlekar had made efforts to work in coordination with the government, while Speaker Radhakrishnan described him as a Governor who maintained close contact with ordinary people.
In his reply, Arlekar said he had only returned the love and affection he received from the people of Kerala.
The Chief Minister presented the state's honour to the outgoing Governor.
Mathur is a veteran organisational leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He served as the 18th Governor of Sikkim from July 2024 until October 2026.
He represented Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha for two terms, from 2008 to 2014 and from 2016 to 2022.
He also served as President of the Rajasthan BJP from 2008 to 2009.
His appointment as Kerala Governor brings to the state a political leader with extensive experience in the BJP's organisational structure and parliamentary affairs.
--IANS
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