Aizawl, Dec 25, 2024, IANS

Aizawl, Dec 25 (IANS) New Mizoram Governor General (retd.) Vijay Kumar Singh is likely to take charge next week, replacing Hari Babu Kambhampati, who was appointed as Governor of Odisha by President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday, sources from the Raj Bhavan said on Wednesday. Sources said that Kambhampati is now in Andhra Pradesh and is likely to return to Aizawl on Friday and then move to Odisha to take up his new role. Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Wednesday expressed thanks to both the outgoing Governor Kambhampati and Governor-designate General (retd.) V.K. Singh. In a post on X, the Chief Minister said: "I sincerely thank Hari Babu Kambhampati for his dedicated service as Governor of Mizoram and wish him success as the Governor of Odisha. A warm welcome to General (retd.) VK Singh on his appointment as Mizoram's new Governor. We look forward to his leadership ahead." Kambhampati, a former teacher at Andhra University Engineering College for 24 years, was appointed as the Mizoram Governor in 2021. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has stepped down as Odisha Governor and President Murmu has accepted his resignation. The newly appointed Mizoram Governor General (retd.) V.K. Singh was born on May 10, 1951. He served as the 24th Chief of Army Staff and after retiring from the Indian Army, he entered politics and was elected as a Member of Parliament from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on a BJP ticket in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term, he served as the Minister of State for External Affairs, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), and Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation. In PM Modi's second term, he held the portfolios of Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation.