metro india news  I amaravati

Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former Union Minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been appointed as the Governor of Goa. The announcement was made by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, with President Droupadi Murmu issuing formal orders.

Ashok Gajapathi Raju, a veteran politician with over four decades of public service, hails from the erstwhile royal family of Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh. A prominent face in Telugu politics, he has been a central figure in the TDP and currently serves as a Politburo member of the party. His appointment to the constitutional post of Governor has been widely welcomed by party colleagues and supporters alike.

Raju’s political journey began in 1978 when he was elected as an MLA from the Janata Party. He later joined the TDP and went on to win the Assembly elections six times in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2009 becoming one of the longest-serving legislators from Andhra Pradesh. In 2014, he transitioned to national politics, winning the Vizianagaram Lok Sabha seat and serving as the Union Minister for Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.

Throughout his career, Raju held several key portfolios both at the state and central levels. During N.T. Rama Rao’s tenure, he served as the Minister for Excise and Commercial Taxes. Under N. Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership, he handled important departments including Finance, Legislative Affairs, and Revenue. His appointment as Governor is seen as a recognition of his long-standing contributions to governance and public life.

The Gajapathi Raju family has a longstanding tradition of public service and political engagement. Ashok Gajapathi Raju’s daughter, Aditi Gajapathi Raju, continued that legacy by winning the Vizianagaram Assembly seat in the 2024 elections, further cementing the family's influence in the region.

Reacting to the appointment, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed heartfelt congratulations and pride. “Heartiest congratulations to P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju garu on being appointed as the Governor of Goa. It is a proud moment for the people of Andhra Pradesh,” Naidu tweeted.

“I sincerely thank President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Union Cabinet for bestowing this honour on a distinguished leader. I am confident that Ashok Gajapathi Raju garu will serve this high office with utmost dedication and distinction.”

The announcement has triggered celebrations among TDP ranks and the people of Vizianagaram, who view the appointment as a prestigious acknowledgement of their leader’s decades-long service to the state and the nation.