Bengaluru : Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot was on Tuesday appointed as Karnataka Governor and Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel was named as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué.

Gehlot (73), Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, is a prominent Dalit leader. He served as the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Modi government. Besides, he also served the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. A member of the Parliamentary Board and the Central Election Committee of the BJP, his appointment as the Governor of Karnataka came amid talks of Cabinet expansion.

President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the appointment of a few Governors and changes in portfolios of some others. The announcement comes amid reports of Union Cabinet reshuffle.

Hari Babu Kambhampati and Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar have been appointed as Governors of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh respectively. Kambhampati succeeds P S Sreedharan Pillai, who has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Goa, the communiqué said.

Arlekar replaces Bandaru Dattatraya who has been transferred and appointed as Haryana Governor. Satyadev Narayan Arya, Governor of Haryana is transferred and appointed as Governor of Tripura, the statement said. Tripura Governor Ramesh Bais has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Jharkhand, it said.

list of new governors in eight states:

1. PS Sreedharan Pillai, Governor of Mizoram, has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Goa.

2. Satyadev Narayan Arya, Governor of Haryana, has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Tripura.

3. Ramesh Bais, Governor of Tripura, has betransferred and appointed as Governor of Jharkhand.

4. Union minister Thawarchand Gehlot has been appointed as the Governor of Karnataka.

5. Bandaru Dattatraya, Governor of Himachal Pradesh, has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Haryana.

6. Hari Babu Kambhampati has been appointed as the Governor of Mizoram.

7. Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel has been appointed as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.

8. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is now the Governor of Himachal Pradesh.