Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj formally denied the news doing rounds in social media that she was appointed Governor of Andhra Pradesh. She took to Twitter on Monday night to issue a clarification on the speculation.
The news about my appointment as Governor of Andhra Pradesh is not true.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 10, 2019
I called on the Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu ji on demitting office as Minister of External affairs. This was enough for Twitter to appoint me as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 10, 2019
Two political developments that took place in the national capital gave rise to the news about her possible appointment as governor of Andhra Pradesh.
First, ESL Narasimhan, the Governor two Telugu states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, called on union home minister Amit Shaw; two, Sushma’s own meeting with Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu.
It has been talked about in Telugu states that ESL Narasimhan, who has been occupying Raj Bhavan for over ten years, will be made regular governor of Telangana, and Andhra would have a new incumbent.
Happened close on the heels of Governor’s meeting with union home minister, Sushma’s meeting with Vice-President had given rise to the speculation that the latter had discussed the matter with her.
“The news about my appointment as Governor of Andhra Pradesh was not true,” Sushma said in the tweet at 10.45 PM Monday.
“I called on the Vice President of India, Shri Venkaiah Naidu, on the demitting office as Minister of External Affairs. This was enough for Twitter to appoint me as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh,” she tweeted.
Meanwhile, union minister Dr. Harshvardhan tweeted, “Congratulations to senior BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj ji on being appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.” But after Sushma’s clarification, Dr. Harshavardhan deleted the tweet.