Aizawl, Dec 30 (IANS): New Mizoram Governor, General Vijay Kumar Singh (retd), would assume office on January 9, replacing Hari Babu Kambhampati, who was appointed as Governor of Odisha by President Droupadi Murmu on December 24, officials said here on Monday.

A senior Mizoram government official said that the Mizoram Governor-designate would arrive in Aizawl on December 8 and the swearing-in Ceremony is expected to be held at Circular Lawn, Raj Bhawan, on the next day,

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma earlier expressed thanks to both the outgoing Governor Kambhampati and Governor-designate General V.K. Singh (retd).

In a post on X, the Chief Minister said: "I sincerely thank Hari Babu Kambhampati for his dedicated service as Governor of Mizoram and wish him success as the Governor of Odisha. A warm welcome to General (retd.) VK Singh on his appointment as Mizoram's new Governor. We look forward to his leadership ahead."

Kambhampati, a former teacher at Andhra University Engineering College for 24 years, was appointed as the Mizoram Governor in 2021.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has stepped down as Odisha Governor and President Murmu has accepted his resignation.

The newly appointed Mizoram Governor, General V.K. Singh served as the 24th Chief of Army Staff and after retiring from the army, entered politics and was elected as a Member of Parliament from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on a BJP ticket in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term, he served as the Minister of State for External Affairs, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), and Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation.

In PM Modi's second term, he held the portfolios of Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation.