Mamata Banerjee Meets Outgoing Governor CV Bose, Calls His Resignation An 'Ouster Designed By Political Conspiracy'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday met with outgoing Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose at a state guest house, sharply criticised his abrupt resignation last week. The meeting, first, since Bose's mysterious departure from office, lasted for almost thirty minutes. Banerjee went to meet him straight after calling off her 5 day long dharna against the ‘unplanned SIR’. After the meeting, Banerjee spoke with the media and called it an ‘ouster’ designed out of political conspiracy hatched by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).

Bose, a seasoned bureaucrat and academic who assumed the role in November 2022 following the contentious tenure of his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankar, had two more years left. But he tendered his resignation on March 5, citing deteriorating health as the primary reason. However, the timing and circumstances have fuelled widespread speculation of deeper intrigue. Sources close to Raj Bhavan indicated that the 72-year-old governor had shown no prior signs of severe illness and was actively engaged in official duties, including preparations for a scheduled trip to northern Bengal. Rajbhavan sources maintained that they had no inkling about any impending and immediate changes in office, that schedule for Dr Bose had been lined up for the next few weeks.

The resignation unfolded like a thriller plot: Dr. Bose was reportedly was scheduled to visit Bagdogra in North Bengal aboard a state-allotted government aircraft to receive President Draupadi Murmu as part of the protocol, when he received an urgent summon to New Delhi. On the same day of his resignation, Central government decided to send R N Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu to West Bengal as the next governor. Ravi had a massive showdown with the Tamil Nadu government of Chief Minister M K Stalin during his tenure, further fuelling speculations of impending stand off between Rajbhavan and Mamata Banerjee ahead of all important Bengal assembly elections.

"He had gone to Delhi with no idea. This is unfair. He was supposed to go to meet the president. The government flight was allocated. He was supposed to go to Bagdogra. But instead he was called to Delhi," Banerjee elaborated. “What has happened to him is unfair. His tenure was not over but he had to resign. He has been removed. Thats a political conspiracy. I have requested him to come back to Bengal. I shared good equation with him, I respect his family. He didn’t stay at the Raj Bhavan after coming here, it’s humiliating the way he has been removed. He wanted to stay at the hotel. So I requested him not to stay at hotel, instead gave him the state honour at the state guest house. He deserves justice”, Banerjee added before leaving the guest house in Alipore.​