Governor-Designate Hari Babu Kambhampati Reaches Odisha, Oath Taking Tomorrow; Know His Journey From Academia To Politics

Bhubaneswar: Newly-appointed Governor of Odisha Hari Babu Kambhampati arrived in Bhubaneswar on Thursday ahead of his swearing-in ceremony.

Soon after his arrival, the Governor-designate was accorded a warm welcome at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CMs K V Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Law Minister Prithviraj Hrichandan and others.

A guard of honour was presented at the airport before Kambhampati proceeded to Puri. He is slated to visit Shree Jagannath Temple in the pilgrim town and seek the blessings of the sibling deities.

“Landed in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where I was warmly received by the Hon’ble Chief Minister and officials. A Guard of Honour was presented before proceeding to Puri for the sacred darshan of Lord Jagannath,” Kambhampati said in a post on X handle.

As per official sources, 71-year-old Kambhampati is scheduled to take oath as the new Governor Odisha at 10.15 am on Friday. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at New Abhishek Hall in Raj Bhavan.

With a strong educational and political background, Kambhampati was the Mizoram Governor before his new appointment. He will replace Raghubar Das.

After accepting the resignation of Raghubar Das, President Droupadi Murmu had appointed Kambhampati as the new Governor of Odisha.

Born in 1953 in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district, Kambhampati has a long career in politics. His political journey began during his university days, where he played an active role in the Jai Andhra Movement in 1972. He was also imprisoned for six months during the Emergency period in the mid-1970s.

An academic by profession, Kambhampati holds a BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering and a PhD from Andhra University. He dedicated 24 years to academia as an associate professor in Andhra University’s Engineering College where he immensely contributed to the academic development of students.

His association with politics resumed in 1977 when he joined the Janata Dal. By 1978, he was serving as the vice-president of its youth wing in Andhra Pradesh. Later, he became the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Andhra Pradesh, a position he held for a decade from 1993. In 1999, he was elected an MLA from Visakhapatnam-1 constituency.

He was entrusted with the role of national secretary for BJP in 2005 and served as the president of the Andhra Pradesh BJP between 2014 and 2018. As a Member of Parliament from 2014 to 2019, Kambhampati contributed significantly to various parliamentary committees.