Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council and senior BJP leader D H Shankaramurthy (76) is likely to be appointed the next Governor of Tamil Nadu. K Rosaiah’s term will end on August 31.
BJP national president Amit Shah is said to have asked Shankaramurthy to be ready for a new assignment, hinting at the Governor’s post. The issue had come up for discussion during Murthy’s recent meeting with Shah in New Delhi.
According to sources, the BJP-led Union government is set to take a decision within the next few days on the new Governor for TN and is also keen to appoint a full-time Governor for the newly carved Telangana state. E S L Narasimhan, the present Governor of residual Andhra Pradesh, is holding additional charge of Telangana.
DH Shankaramurthy, the man with strong RSS roots, belongs to the Vaishya community and hails from Shivamogga district. He is a close associate of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. He has been a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council since 1988.
Shankaramurthy told The New Indian Express, “Just a few days ago our party national leadership spoke to me. I have been asked to be ready for a new responsibility. The hint was about Governor’s post. However, the name of the state was not specified. I am waiting for the formal announcement.”
Shankaramurthy is said to be eager for “an appropriate political rehabilitation” in light of the ruling Congress’ efforts in the state to unseat him from the post of Council Chairman by joining hands with the JD(S).
He had earlier served as Leader of the Opposition in the Council and as Higher Education Minister in HD Kumaraswamy’s JD(S)-BJP coalition government.
In 1975, during the Emergency period, he was detained for 19 months in Belagavi jail for organising protests against the imposition of Emergency.