PANAJI, Goa – Former Union Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju was sworn in as the 20th Governor of Goa on Saturday, July 26, 2025. He succeeds P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, who completed his four-year tenure in the gubernatorial position on July 25, 2025.
Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Alok Aradhe, administered the oath of office to Raju at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other dignitaries were in attendance.
Raju, 74, stated his commitment to upholding the Constitution of India while serving the people. “We all work as a team, and I am very delighted that I am associated with Goans,” he remarked.
Acknowledging his new assignment, Raju said, “Though I don’t understand the local language and this is my first assignment in this office, I have had a long innings in the political set-up.” He highlighted his extensive political career, having served as a seven-time legislator in Andhra Pradesh before its bifurcation and also having a short tenure in Parliament. “I have been in and out as a minister in the government and also sat in the opposition. I have wide experience,” the Governor added.
A veteran leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from Andhra Pradesh, Raju served as the Union Minister for Civil Aviation between May 27, 2014, and March 10, 2018, in the Narendra Modi-led government. He has also held various ministerial portfolios in the Andhra Pradesh state government, including Commercial Taxes, Excise, Legislative Affairs, Finance, and Revenue. He was appointed as Governor of Goa by the President of India on July 14, 2025.
Later, addressing reporters, Governor Raju expressed his eagerness to work with the people of Goa. “I am looking forward to working for you, or rather, I should say ‘working with you.’ ‘For’ is a mind terminology, but ‘with you’ because if people don’t work with the government, democracy suffers. We don’t want that situation. We want everyone to work unitedly,” he emphasized. He appealed to the public to collaborate to advance India, asserting that “India will be second to none in the world.”
Outgoing Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai was accorded a warm farewell on Thursday, July 24, 2025, during which he also distributed financial aid from discretionary funds to cancer and dialysis patients.
The Governor in an Indian state serves as the constitutional head, acting as a link between the state and the central government. While exercising executive powers, the Governor primarily acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, with some discretionary powers in specific situations.