Thiruvananthapuram, January 1: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the newly appointed Governor of Kerala, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, upon his arrival at the International Airport here on Wednesday evening. Arlekar will take the oath as the Governor of Kerala at a function organised at Rajbhavan here on Thursday.

"Received the newly appointed Governor of Kerala, @rajendraarlekar, at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Looking forward to working together in the spirit of Kerala's progress and unity," Vijayan said in a post on 'X'. Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer, and ministers, including K Rajan and Kadannappally Ramachandran were among those present at the airport to welcome Arlekar to the state. He was later welcomed by Davendra Kumar Dhodawat, Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor, upon his arrival at Kerala Rajbhavan. Going to Kerala to Assist Govt, Not to Confront, Says New Kerala Guv Arlekar.

Kerala CM Pinarayi  Vijayan Welcomes Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala has expressed hope that the newly appointed Governor would work constitutionally and collaborate with the government, unlike Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who was transferred to Bihar. Khan had been at odds with the Left government over various issues, including the administration of universities in the state. Last week, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, appointed Khan as the new Governor of Bihar and made the outgoing Governor, Arlekar, the Governor of Kerala.