Kerala CM welcomes newly appointed governor Rajendra Arlekar in Thiruvananthapuram

"Received the newly appointed Governor of Kerala, @rajendraarlekar, at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Looking forward to working together in the spirit of Kerala's progress and unity," Vijayan said in a post on X.

Earlier in the day, Arlekar stated that he does not aim to confront the government or the administration but instead goes there to assist the government.

"Wherever I go, I don't try to have any confrontation with the government nor with the administration. I am going there to assist the government, it is not to guide or pass any direction, nothing of that sort," Arlekar said in an official statement.

Arlekar also met with Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai at Raj Bhavan.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Arlekar mentioned that before going to Kerala, he wanted to learn more about the state.

"It is a good coincidence that I am going to Kerala as Governor. Before going to Kerala, I wanted to hear a lot about Kerala from PS Sreedharan Pillai (Goa Governor) because he is from Kerala... so that I can go there and work properly...I will make full use of whatever he has told me," Arlekar said.

On December 21, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as the new Governor of Kerala. Murmu also appointed Governor Arif Mohammad Khan as the Governor of Bihar.

Earlier, the outgoing Kerala Governor, Arif Mohammed Khan, expressed gratitude to the people of Kerala as his term came to an end, underlining his lifelong bond with the state.

Khan conveyed his best wishes to the people and government of Kerala, while mentioning that there was no turbulence during his term. (ANI)