Soumitra Mohan Appointed Governor’s Secretary After Bengal Poll Results

Kolkata, May 2026 : In the first major bureaucratic reshuffle following the Assembly election results in West Bengal, Governor R. N. Ravi has been assigned a new Secretary, signalling the beginning of administrative changes after the political transition in the state.

Senior IAS officer Soumitra Mohan, a 2002-batch official who has been serving as the state’s Transport Secretary for over three years, has been appointed as Secretary to the Governor. Officials confirmed that the appointment was finalised soon after the conclusion of polling and declaration of results on Monday.

Despite several administrative reshuffles during the election period, Soumitra Mohan had continued in the Transport Department, indicating continuity in his role until the electoral process concluded. His appointment to the Raj Bhavan is now being seen as part of the broader administrative reorganisation underway following the change in government.

Governor R.N. Ravi, who assumed office on March 12 at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata, had reportedly sought the appointment of a Secretary shortly after taking charge. However, the process was delayed due to the announcement of election schedules and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, which restricted major administrative decisions during the poll period.

The post of Secretary to the Governor has remained vacant for a considerable period. Earlier, during the tenure of former Governor C. V. Ananda Bose, IAS officer Nandini Chakraborty was appointed to the role. However, she was removed within a short span amid perceptions of political alignment. Subsequently, she went on to hold key positions in the state administration, including Home Secretary and later Chief Secretary.

In February 2023, then Governor Ananda Bose had removed her from the post of Principal Secretary, after which the position remained unfilled for nearly three years. The appointment of Soumitra Mohan now marks the restoration of a full-time bureaucratic presence in the Governor’s office.

Earlier in the day, Governor Ravi, accompanied by his wife Laxmi Ravi, visited the Kalighat Kali Temple, where they offered prayers for the well-being, peace, and prosperity of the people of the state.

The bureaucratic development comes in the backdrop of a major political shift, with the Bharatiya Janata Party coming to power in West Bengal, ending the long-standing rule of the All India Trinamool Congress. Observers note that further administrative changes are likely in the coming days as the new dispensation begins to take charge.