Hyderabad: Veteran
BJP leader
Shiv Pratap Shukla, a seasoned politician from Uttar Pradesh with over four decades of political experience, is set to take charge at Telangana's Lok Bhavan as the new governor.
Known within party circles as a loyalist and a smooth political operator, Shukla brings with him extensive administrative experience, including a stint as Union minister of state for finance in the Narendra Modi govt from 2017 to 2019.
Born on April 1, 1952, in Rudrapur village in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh, Shukla pursued a law degree from Gorakhpur University. His political journey began during his student days in 1970 through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP's ideological family.
His early political career was shaped during the the Emergency in India in 1975, when he was imprisoned for nearly 19 months under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act. After emerging as a student leader, he joined the BJP and steadily rose through the ranks, building a reputation as a committed organisational leader in Uttar Pradesh politics.
Served as minister
Shukla was elected MLA from the Gorakhpur Urban constituency four consecutive times between 1989 and 1996. During this period, he served as a minister in the govts led by Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta and Rajnath Singh, handling portfolios such as jails, justice, rural development and primary education.
In Feb 2023, he was appointed the 22nd governor of Himachal Pradesh. His move to Telangana now comes amid a broader reshuffle of governors by the Centre and at a time when political activity is expected to intensify in the state.
Telangana BJP leaders welcomed the choice, describing Shukla's "unmatched integrity and vast administrative experience" as strengths aligned with the state's development goals. Opponents, however, questioned the frequent gubernatorial changes in Congress-ruled states, arguing that such shifts reflect an attempt by the Centre to increase oversight.
Sribala Vadlapatla is a Senior Assistant Editor with 15 years of ...
Read MoreSribala Vadlapatla is a Senior Assistant Editor with 15 years of experience at The Times of India and 30 years overall in mainstream and web journalism. She covers Telangana's political, economic, health, technological, and socio-cultural topics, and is deeply interested in policy, governance, emerging technologies, international affairs, economy and music.
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