Panaji, Nov 3 (IANS): Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik was on Sunday sworn-in as Governor of Goa, by Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Pradeep Nandrajog in a formal ceremony at Raj Bhavan near Panaji.

Malik was appointed as the Governor of Goa by President Ram Nath Kovind on October 25. He replaces Mridula Sinha, whose tenure expired on August 31.

Malik was Governor of Jammu and Kashmir when Article 370, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state was abrogated, and the state was bifurcated into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

A statement issued by the Goa government said, that Malik entered politics in 1965 inspired by the socialist ideology of freedom fighter late Ram Manohar Lohia. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha, representing the Lok Dal in 1980. He was also elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Congress party leader in 1986. Malik later joined the BJP and was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2005.