On eve of Do-or-Die polls ... West Bengal gets 'tough' former cop R N Ravi as new Governor ::: Is this a prelude to President's Rule ??

R N Ravi has a reputation of a tough Governor.

Is centre preparing for President's Rule ... Ravi's "experience" may be handy to handle a tough state especially in terms of deployment of central forces and overseeing the police and civil administration. 

He had issues with Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio as he did not hesitate to pin point at the 'extortion' culture of the state. A fact the regional-party-led NDA government has always been hesitant to name.

Ravi was also negotiator for the crucial Naga peace talks and in 2020 and subsequently he claimed that the talk process was over. Ravi, who was shunted down to Tamil Nadu as the Governor, also had serious problems with the DMK and state chief minister M K Stalin.

The breaking news came from Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool supremo and the West Bengal chief minister. 

The centre's move is seen as a great spin that has left the Trinamool leadership aggrieved in more ways than one.

"Do you not want elections to take place in Bengal?...Are you trying to take the state towards President Rule? Is there no Constitution? CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted that she is extremely shocked...Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi will come here as the Governor? 

No consultations were held between Centre and State...Why do you want to bring an instability here?...", said Mamata's aide and state minister State Minister Shashi Panja. 

"Union Home Minister  just informed me that Shri R.N. Ravi is being appointed as Governor  of West Bengal.  He never consulted with me as per the established convention in this regard," she tweeted.  

In the meantime, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has resigned.

"I have spent enough time at governor's office," Bose told news agency PTI after resigning (says The Telegraph). 

" I am shocked and deeply concerned by the sudden news of the resignation of Shri C. V. Ananda Bose, the Governor of West Bengal. The reasons behind his resignation are not known to me at this moment," Mamata tweeted.

However, she claimed -- ".... 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."

Mamata also claimed that appointment of Governor Ravi 'without consulting' the chief minister "undermines 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," she said.  

President Droupadi Murmu will visit West Bengal from March 6 to 7, 2026.

On March 6, the President will launch the Darjeeling Hill Festival to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram and inaugurate an exhibition ‘Root & Rhythms’ at Lok Bhavan, Darjeeling.  

She will also virtually inaugurate the Platinum Jubilee Flagship Programme on Women’s Leadership and Empowerment at IIT Kharagpur on the occasion.

On March 7, the President will grace the 9th International Santal Conference being organised by the International Santal Council at Darjeeling, West Bengal.  

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