Rajendra Arlekar | |
|---|---|
 Arlekar in 2021 | |
| 23rdGovernor of Kerala | |
| Assumed office 2 January 2025 (2025-1-2) | |
| Chief Minister | Pinarayi Vijayan |
| Preceded by | Arif Mohammed Khan |
| 29thGovernor of Bihar | |
| In office 16 February 2023 – 1 January 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Phagu Chauhan |
| Succeeded by | Arif Mohammad Khan |
| 21stGovernor of Himachal Pradesh | |
| In office 13 July 2021 – 16 February 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Bandaru Dattatreya |
| Succeeded by | Shiv Pratap Shukla |
| Cabinet Minister of Forest, Environment and Panchayat Government of Goa | |
| In office 1 October 2015 – 2017[1] | |
| Member ofGoa 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 |
| Speaker ofGoa Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 2012–2015 | |
| Preceded by | Pratapsingh Rane |
| Succeeded by | Anant Shet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1954-04-23)23 April 1954 (age 70) Panaji,Goa,Portuguese India (present-dayGoa, India) |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse | Anagha Arlekar |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Profession | Politician |
| Website | www |
Rajendra Arlekar (born 23 April 1954) is an Indian politician who is currently the 23rdGovernor of Kerala.[2] Previously, he was the 29thGovernor of Bihar[3] and the 21stGovernor of Himachal Pradesh, being the first Governor of Himachal Pradesh fromGoa. He was also a Cabinet Minister in theGovernment of Goa and a former speaker of theGoa Legislative Assembly. He is a leader ofBJP.
Arlekar was born on 23 April 1954 atPanaji,Goa, to Vishwanath Arlekar and Tilomattama. He did his schooling at St. Joseph’s Institute, Vasco Da Gama, and completed his degree in commerce from MES College, Vasco Da Gama.[4]
Arlekar is married to Anagha Arlekar and has two children.[5]
Arlekar has been associated with theRSS since his childhood. He joined theBJP in 1989.He has been an active member of the Goa BJP since the 1980s. He has held various positions which include the following:General Secretary, Bharatiya Janata Party, Goa Pradesh. Chairman, Goa Industrial Development Corporation.Chairman, Goa State SC and OBC Financial Development Corporation.General Secretary, BJP, Goa.South Goa President, BJP.
WhenManohar Parrikar was roped in as the Union Defence Minister in 2014, Arlekar was considered for the next Chief Minister but the Party choseLaxmikant Parsekar as the next Chief Minister instead.
He is credited with making Goa Legislative Assembly paperless, the first state assembly to do so.
In 2015, he was appointed the Minister for Environment and Forests during the reshuffling of the cabinet.
On 6 July 2021, he was appointedHimachal Pradesh's Governor when the incumbent Bandaru Dattatreya was made the governor of Haryana. Arlekar thanked the Party and stated that BJP is a Party where the work of each and every member is recognized. He was then appointed as the 29thGovernor of Bihar and on 24 December 2024 he was appointed as the 23rdGovernor of Kerala.[6][7]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly 16 March 2012 - 01 October 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Himachal Pradesh 8 July 2021 - 13 February 2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Bihar 14 February 2023 - Present | Incumbent |