Kerala Governor-designate Om Prakash Mathur arrives in Thiruvananthapuram; will be sworn in on October 23

Kerala Governor-designate Om Prakash Mathur was welcomed by Chief Minister VD Satheesan on his arrival a day before assuming office in Thiruvananthapuram. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Keralam Governor-designate Om Prakash Mathur arrived in the state capital on Thursday evening ahead of his swearing-in at the Lok Bhavan on Friday (October 23, 2026).

Chief Minister VD Satheesan, Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor VV Rajesh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan were among those who received Mr. Mathur at the air station in the Thiruvanhapuram Technical Area

Expressing immense happiness when he first arrived in the state, he called Kerala “God’s own country” which is blessed with natural beauty and the glory of its traditions. In his first reaction, he added that he was starting a new journey in this land of love and harmony, official sources said.

Oath of Service

Kerala High Court Chief Justice Soumen Sen will administer the oath to the Governor-designate at the swearing-in ceremony to be held at the Lok Bhavan Auditorium on Friday.

Mr. Mathur, who was earlier the Governor of Sikkim, hails from Bedal village in Rajasthan’s Pali district. He graduated from Rajasthan University and entered public life as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Pracharak, according to a Lok Bhavan report.

He was also the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in charge of Gujarat and MP from Rajasthan. Mr. Mathur will replace Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar, who has been appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

Published – 22 Oct 2026 22:53 IST