Srinagar, Aug 7: Jammu and Kashmir, which was princely border state and acceded to Union of India in 1947 after independence, witnessed Sadr-e-Riyasat in 1952 to Lt Governor in 2019, when Centre divided the state into two Union Territories (UT) after abrogating Article 370 and Article 35 A.
Since the eruption of militancy in late 1989, Satya Pal Malik was the only politician who was appointed as Governor of the State in 2018 before he was shifted after the state became UT. All other Governors in the state were retired Army, IPS and IAS officers. However, Manoj Sinha became the second politician to be the Lt Governor of the UT after he took oath of office here on Friday. Both Malik and Sinha were affiliated with BJP from Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Dr Karan Singh was the first Sadr-e-Riyasat (President) of Jammu and Kashmir from November 17, 1952 to March 30, 1965, when National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was Prime Minister. However, Sheikh was dismissed and later jailed in 1953 and another NC leader Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad became Prime Minister.
After Bakshi was unseated in 1965 when majority MLAs left NC led by him and joined Congress. Later the then Congress government headed by G M Sadiq in the state changed the name of Sadar-e-Riyasat and Prime Minister to Governor and Chief Minister respectively.
However, Dr Singh was again appointed as first Governor and Sadiq as first Chief Minister of the State in 1965.
Dr Singh was in office as Governor from March 30, 1965 to May 15, 1967 followed by Bhagwan Sahay from May 15, 1967 to July 3,1973. Lakshmi Kant Jha was Governor from July 3, 1973 to February 22, 1981, Braj Kumar Nehru February 22, 1981 to April 26 1984, Jagmohan April 26, 1984 to July 1989.
Gen (Retd) K V Krishna Rao, was the first person with Army background appointed as Governor from July 1989 to January 19 1990, just six months before he was again replaced by Jagmohan despite opposition by then Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah. Jagmohan’s second term from January 19, 1990 to May 26, 1990 lasted five months after massive killings and exodus of Kashmir Pandits . He was replaced by IPS officer who headed RAW Girish Chandra Sexana from May 26, 1990 to March 12, 1993 when militancy in the valley was at its peak.
Again K V Krishna Rao was appointed as Governor from March 12 , 1993 to May 2, 1998. It was during the second tenure that militancy was controlled to some extent and first Assembly elections were held in the state in 1996, when NC, promising restoration of greater autonomy, got absolute majority.
G C Sexana (IPS) was again appointed Governor for the second term from May 2, 1998 to June 4, 2003. He was replaced by Lt General (Retd) Srinivas Kumar Sinha from June 4, 2003 to June 25, 2008.
Another IAS officer Narinder Nath Vohra was Governor of the state from June 25, 2008 to August 23, 2018.
BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh (UP), first politician Satya Pal Malik was appointed Governor from August 23, 2018 to October 30, 2019. It was during his term under Governor rule Centre scrapped Article 370, 35 A and divided the state into two Union Territories (UTs)—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
After the downgrading the state into UT, G C Murmu, a Gujrat cadre IAS officer, became the first Lt Governor of J&K in October last year. However, he was asked to resign on August 5, when BJP was celebrating abrogation of special status and opposition as black day.
