Maharashtra governor to resign soon; BS Koshyari writes to PM Modi, wishes to retire [details]

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday stated that he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his desire to resign from his role. 

"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. I can never forget the love and affection I have received from the people of Maharashtra during the last little more than 3 years," said Koshyari.

"During the recent visit of the Hon'ble 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. I have always received the love and affection from the Hon'ble Prime Minister and I hope to receive the same in this regard," he added. 

Protests against Koshyari 

This comes months after Koshyari became a subject of statewide protests when he labelled Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as an icon of the 'olden days'. 

"Earlier, when you would be asked who is your icon — Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Mahatma Gandhi used to be the answers," Koshyari had said while addressing a gathering after conferring the D.Litt degree on senior BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar at Dr BR Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad.

"Whereas in Maharashtra, you need not look elsewhere (as) there are so many icons here... while Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is of olden times, there are icons such as Ambedkar and Nitin Gadkari in modern times," he added. 

Following this, the opposition and several organisations asked the President to transfer Koshiyari from Maharashtra to another state.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena staged full-throated demonstrations in different parts of the state while the Congress demanded Koshyari's recall.

Speculations were being raised after the incident that Koshyari would quit. They were fueled by NCP's Ajit Pawar stating that the governor had told him that he was no longer interested in the post and wanted to be relieved from his duties.

"He had himself told me that he is no longer interested in continuing in Maharashtra and was keen to be relieved of his post," the NCP leader claimed.

"I told him (Koshyari) that he should simply request his seniors to give him some other posting," Pawar contended, while saying he prayed to the Almighty to give 'sense' to the Governor, who was appointed to the state in September 2019.