Team Herald
PANJIM: Kerala Governor-designate Rajendra Arlekar on Wednesday said that claims of him returning to the State politics are only rumours.
Speaking to reporters at Raj Bhavan at Dona Paula after meeting his Goa counterpart P S Sreedharan Pillai, he said given the fact that he has been appointed as Governor of Kerala implies that the claims that he will be coming back in State politics are nothing short of rumours.
“You could have understood that it was only a rumour. I have been appointed as Governor of Kerala. You should have understood this. I do not have to speak on this anymore,” he said.
When asked was there any offer for the post of chief ministership in the State, he said, “No.”
He said he meet the Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai because he wanted to gather some information on Kerala and Pillai’s perspective on them.
“I wanted to know his views so that could work in a better way in Kerala. He has given very good inputs and I will use those inputs while working there,” Arlekar said.
“ I discussed with the Goa Governor about tourism, culture of Kerala. Whatever he gave me was an advice to me because I know nothing of Kerala. Whatever he told me will certainly help me in functioning. Whenever I go I do not want to have any confrontation either with the government or the administration. This will certainly help me. I am going there just to assist the government. It is not to guide or give any direction. Nothing of that sort,” he said.
Goa was upbeat in the last month of 2024 and speculation of change in leadership was rife that Arlekar, who had earlier served as minister and Assembly Speaker in the State, may take over as Chief Minister from incumbent Pramod Sawant.
However, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant maintained that there is no question of leadership change as the state was performing well.