Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan along with other Ministers during a private farewell programme organised for outgoing Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The United Democratic Front (UDF) government had a warm relationship with outgoing Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said on Thursday.
At an official send-off to the outgoing Governor at Grand Hyatt hotel in the State capital, the Chief Minister conveyed the gratitude of the government and the people of the State to Mr. Arlekar and wished him all success in his new role as Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said Mr. Arlekar tried to work jointly with the government, and Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said Mr. Arlekar was a Governor who interacted the most with the public.
In his reply, Mr. Arlekar said he was only returning the affection shown to him by the people of the State.
The Chief Minister presented Mr. Arlekar with a memento on the occasion. Ministers Sunny Joseph, Bindhu Krishna, Anoop Jacob, and M. Liju were among those present.
‘Fruitful and eventful’
At Lok Bhavan, Mr. Arlekar described his tenure in Keralam as very fruitful and eventful.
On his last day in office, Mr. Arlekar who had been Keralam Governor since January 2, 2025, said the people of Keralam were cooperative and affectionate. “They listened to me, understood what I wanted to say, and many of them appreciated me. Very rarely does a Governor get this appreciation,” Mr. Arlekar said. This was not owing to his qualities but of the people of the State, he said, adding that whatever he had been able to do was owing to the support he received.
Mr. Arlekar pointed out that he had seen two governments during his tenure and had cordial relations with both of them. “I thank the heads of both the governments who kept good relations with me in the interests of the people of the State,” Mr. Arlekar said.
He said he was happy that he could complete his tenure without much confrontation.
Mr. Arlekar who had been additionally discharging the duties of Governor of Tamil Nadu since March 5 this year took full-time charge on October 15.
He will be succeeded as Keralam Governor by Om Prakash Mathur who was serving as Governor of Sikkim.
Published – October 22, 2026 09:43 pm IST
