Rajendra Arlekar
Governor of Kerala and Tamil Nadu (born 1954)
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Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar (born 23 April 1954) is an Indian politician who has served as the Governor of Kerala since January 2025. He took additional charge as the Governor of Tamil Nadu on 12 March 2026. Previously, he had served as the Governor of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he was elected twice to the Goa Legislative Assembly. He served as a cabinet minister in the Government of Goa from 2015 to 2017 and was the speaker of the Goa assembly from 2012 to 2015.
C. Joseph Vijay (Assuming office)
Rajendra Arlekar | |
|---|---|
Arlekar in 2025 | |
| Governor of Tamil Nadu | |
Additional charge | |
| Assumed office 12 March 2026 | |
| Chief Minister | M. K. Stalin C. Joseph Vijay (Assuming office) |
| Preceded by | R. N. Ravi |
| 22nd Governor of Kerala | |
| Assumed office 2 January 2025 | |
| Chief Minister | Pinarayi Vijayan |
| Preceded by | Arif Mohammad Khan |
| 28th Governor of Bihar | |
| In office 17 February 2023 – 1 January 2025 | |
| Chief Minister | Nitish Kumar |
| Preceded by | Phagu Chauhan |
| Succeeded by | Arif Mohammad Khan |
| 21st Governor of Himachal Pradesh | |
| In office 13 July 2021 – 16 February 2023 | |
| Chief Minister | Jai Ram Thakur |
| Preceded by | Bandaru Dattatreya |
| Succeeded by | Shiv Pratap Shukla |
| Minister of Forest, Environment and Panchayat of Goa | |
| In office 1 October 2015 – 14 March 2017 | |
| Chief Minister | Laxmikant Parsekar |
| Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 16 March 2012 – 1 October 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Pratapsingh Rane |
| Succeeded by | Anant Shet |
| Member of the Goa Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 2012–2017 | |
| Preceded by | Dayanand Sopte |
| Succeeded by | Manohar Ajgaonkar |
| Constituency | Pernem |
| In office 2002–2007 | |
| Preceded by | Jose Philip D'Souza |
| Succeeded by | Jose Philip D'Souza |
| Constituency | Vasco Da Gama |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar 23 April 1954 |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (since 1989) |
| Spouse | Anagha Arlekar |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession | Politician |
| Website | rajendraarlekar |
Early and personal life
Arlekar was born at Nova Goa, Portuguese India (present-day Panaji, Goa), to Vishwanath Arlekar and Tilomattama.[1] He completed his schooling at St. Joseph’s Institute in Vasco da Gama and then did his degree in Commerce from M.E.S. College in Zuarinagar. He belongs to the Dalit community.[2] He is married to Anagha and has two children.[1]
Political career
Arlekar was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh during his childhood. He was imprisoned during the Emergency. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1989. He held various positions within the party, and later served as the state president of the Goa wing of the party. He was elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly for the first time in the 2002 Goa Legislative Assembly election, and was re-elected in 2012. He was elected as the speaker of the assembly in 2012, and during his tenure as the speaker, Goa assembly became the first legislative assembly in India to adopt a paperless system.[1] In October 2015, he was appointed the minister for environment and forests in the Government of Goa.[3]
Governorships (2021- Present)
Governor of Himachal Pradesh (2021- 2023)
On 6 July 2021, Arlekar was appointed as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, succeeding Bandaru Dattatreya.[4]
Governor of Bihar (2023- 2025)
On 16 February 2023, Arlekar was sworn in as the 28th Governor of Bihar. He continued till 2 January 2025 when he was transferred as the Governor of Kerala.
Governor of Kerala (2025- Present)
He was moved to take charge as the Governor of Kerala on 24 December 2024. He took charge on 2 January 2025.[5]
Governor of Tamil Nadu (additional charge) (2026- Present)
On 5 March 2026, he was given additional charges as the Governor of Tamil Nadu,[6] and took charge of the same on 12 March 2026.[7]