3 min readKolkataUpdated: Mar 13, 2026 12:34 AM IST
Ravi, a former IPS officer and former Tamil Nadu governor, took the oath of office as the 22nd governor of West Bengal at a ceremony held at the Lok Bhavan in Kolkata. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)
Days after describing him as “BJP cadre” and warning him against repeating “what he did in Tamil Nadu”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday welcomed newly sworn-in Governor R N Ravi with a pointed message: “Bengal loves those who love Bengal.”
Soon after he was administered the oath of office by Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata, Ravi walked up to the chief minister to greet her and introduced his wife.
Banerjee presented Ravi with the traditional Bengali ‘uttoriya’ (stole) and said: “Please see Bengal… Bengal loves those who love Bengal.”
Ravi described Kolkata as the country’s cultural capital and noted that it had served as the capital of India during British rule, adding that he would keep a close watch on developments.
In a post on X, he later posted, “I am immensely blessed and profoundly humbled to have the opportunity to serve the people of West Bengal, a great land that has been the spiritual, intellectual, and cultural capital of Bharat for several thousand years… During critical periods of foreign invasions and occupation, which systematically threatened our culture and identity, this land gave birth to numerous great persons and divine souls.”
The oath-taking ceremony at the Sardar Patel Unity Hall was attended by several senior officials and leaders, Speaker Biman Banerjee, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, and Left Front chairman Biman Bose.
However, no senior BJP leader, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, was present at the event. Sources said that state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya and Adhikari were in Delhi to attend the party’s central leadership meeting on West Bengal Assembly elections due in a few weeks. BJP leader Anirban Ganguly represented the party at the oath-taking ceremony.
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Last week, CM Banerjee had alleged that Bose was forced to resign. “Have you seen how C V Ananda Bose was removed? I know everything. He was threatened. They want to distribute money from Lok Bhavan. They want Lok Bhavan to be converted into a BJP party office. But everybody may not agree to Delhi’s whims and fancies,” Banerjee had alleged.
She had also claimed that she knew what Ravi did during his tenure as Tamil Nadu Governor. “I heard he harassed Stalin and his government. Every day, he called them. I heard that he had to face many comments from the Supreme Court. He is a cadre of the BJP. But remember, West Bengal is a different place. You may have done whatever you wanted in Tamil Nadu, but you can’t do that here,” Banerjee had warned Ravi.
Ravi’s tenure as Governor of Tamil Nadu since September 2021 was marked by a series of confrontations with the MK Stalin-led government, ranging from withholding assent to Bills, refusing to swear in MLAs, and delaying appointments of vice chancellors to state universities. In at least three cases since 2023, the state approached the Supreme Court against the Governor’s actions or inaction.
Ravi, the former Deputy National Security Adviser, was appointed the 22nd Governor of West Bengal following the resignation of his predecessor CV Ananda Bose on March 5. He had earlier served as Governor of Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tamil Nadu.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
