Guwahati: Following the passing of Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday appointed Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to take on additional responsibilities as the Governor of Nagaland. The announcement came from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday evening.
La Ganesan, a long-time BJP leader in Tamil Nadu and a veteran organiser with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), died in Chennai on Friday. He had been in intensive care after suffering a head injury earlier this month.
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Bhalla, who took over as Manipur’s governor in December 2024, had previously served as India’s Union Home Secretary. His appointment in Manipur came just weeks before the imposition of President’s Rule in the state in February 2025, amid ongoing ethnic unrest.
With the recent six-month extension of the central rule approved by Parliament, Bhalla remains effectively in charge of the administration.
During his tenure, Bhalla has overseen efforts to restore order and rebuild confidence between the warring Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
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Although major violence between the groups has largely subsided, the last major clashes occurred in November 2024; formal dialogue between the communities has yet to begin, with representatives on both sides still not engaging in talks.
Under Bhalla’s leadership, the state administration has focused on several key initiatives: urging individuals to return arms looted during the conflict, reopening blocked highways for safe travel across regions dominated by different communities, and facilitating the return of people displaced by the violence.
However, these efforts have seen mixed results. The surrender of weapons achieved only limited success, and attempts to restore highway access led to fresh outbreaks of violence.
Before his gubernatorial appointments, Bhalla played a key role in managing several national security and administrative challenges as Union Home Secretary.
He oversaw the Centre’s response during the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, handled the nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, and coordinated the COVID-19 lockdown response as the government’s chief nodal officer.