Meet Governor RV Arlekar, At The Helm Of Tamil Nadu's Big Transition

Drama is unfolding in Tamil Nadu politics by the hour. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay may not take oath tomorrow as the Tamil Nadu Governor is not convinced his party has the number yet to form the government, according to sources. The TVK, which emerged as the single-largest party winning 108 seats, needed at least 10 seats to hit the majority mark of 118.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar could emerge as the constitutional figure presiding over one of the most dramatic transitions in Tamil politics. In March 2026, Arlekar was given additional charge as Governor of Tamil Nadu while continuing as Kerala Governor. The move instantly drew political attention because Tamil Nadu is entering a volatile political phase after the gradual weakening of the old Dravidian giants.

Arlekar carries with him a political journey that stretches from the dusty RSS shakhas of post-liberation Goa to the constitutional corridors of south India.

Born in Panaji in 1954, Arlekar grew up in a Goa that was still politically unsettled after liberation from Portuguese rule in 1961. Long before the BJP became a dominant national force, the RSS network in Goa was tiny and ideologically driven. Arlekar entered that ecosystem as a child during the 1960s.

He would later recall how early RSS workers in Goa functioned almost like an extended family. Meetings were small. Resources were limited. Workers travelled long distances just to organise local gatherings. Politics was about building an organisation from scratch.

That culture shaped Arlekar permanently.

The defining turning point came during the Emergency imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi between 1975 and 1977. Arlekar, then in his early 20s, and his father were jailed for participating in anti-Emergency protests and activities linked to the RSS movement.

Many BJP and RSS leaders of that generation view the Emergency as their political baptism, and Arlekar is no different. Years later, he would say the prison experience strengthened his belief that democratic freedom could never be taken for granted. Inside Sangh circles, the episode became part of his identity: a quiet worker who had "suffered for the movement".

In 1989, Arlekar formally became an active member of the BJP at a time when the party was still weak in Goa. Congress dominated state politics, while regional parties like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) retained strong influence.

Arlekar belonged to the generation led by Manohar Parrikar, Shripad Naik and Laxmikant Parsekar that slowly transformed the BJP from a small outfit into a serious political force in Goa during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Unlike Parrikar, who emerged as a mass leader and administrator, Arlekar remained an organisation man. He held several key party posts over the years, including Goa BJP general secretary, South Goa BJP president and later Goa BJP state president between 2003 and 2007.

Senior Goa journalist Vithaldas Hegde remembers Arlekar as "soft spoken with sharp political acumen." Hegde says Arlekar was considered by the BJP for the chief minister's post twice and "held great regard for journalists."

In 2002, Arlekar entered the Goa assembly for the first time from Vasco constituency. He served as MLA till 2007. After a brief political setback, he returned to the assembly in 2012 from Pernem constituency in North Goa.

That same year, he became Speaker of the Goa assembly.

His tenure as Speaker produced one of the most unusual reforms attempted in an Indian legislature. Arlekar pushed for a fully paperless assembly. Many MLAs initially resisted the move. Some were uncomfortable using tablets and digital systems. Arlekar later joked publicly that persuading politicians to abandon paper was harder than introducing technology itself.

Yet under his leadership, Goa became India's first paperless assembly in 2015. By then, Arlekar had also become an important behind-the-scenes figure within Goa BJP.

In November 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought Parrikar to Delhi as Defence Minister, Arlekar's name emerged as a serious contender for Goa Chief Minister. Many expected internal resentment when the BJP leadership instead selected Parsekar, who was then the health minister in the cabinet.

But Arlekar reacted differently. "I am only a karyakarta," he reportedly told party workers, emphasizing the principle of working diligently.

In a political culture often driven by rebellion and defections, his refusal to publicly challenge the leadership strengthened his standing within the RSS-BJP structure. The Sangh values ideological discipline deeply, and Arlekar became identified with that older organisational culture.

In October 2015, he entered the Goa cabinet as Minister for Forest, Environment and Panchayati Raj under Chief Minister Parsekar. He remained minister till 2017.

After decades in organisation and state politics, Arlekar moved into constitutional roles. In July 2021, he became Governor of Himachal Pradesh. In February 2023, he was transferred as Governor of Bihar. Then, in January 2025, he took oath as Governor of Kerala.

Now, in 2026, Arlekar finds himself at the centre of another potentially historic political chapter. After Vijay's political gamble succeeded, the oath may ultimately be administered not by a flamboyant national figure, but by a soft-spoken RSS veteran from Goa who spent nearly five decades believing that the organisation mattered more than the individual.