Former Union Minister and Senior BJP leader Ramesh Bais was today, February 18, sworn in as Governor of Maharashtra today by the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court S V Gangapurwala. <br />''<br />''Mr. Bais took oath in Marathi. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, and Minister of Tourism Mangal Prabhat Lodha were present at the ceremony. <br />''<br />''AIR correspondent reports, Maharashtra's new Governor Hon. Ramesh Bais has been the seven-term BJP MP of Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur. He had earlier served as the Union Minister of State for Steel and Mines, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Information and Broadcasting, and Environment and Forests – independent charge. <br />''<br />''A Chhattisgarh native, Hon. Ramesh Bais started his political career as a councillor of the Raipur Municipal Corporation and was later elected as a member of the Madhya Pradesh assembly in 1980. Bais has done extensive research and studies regarding the Rights and Security Bill for Persons with Disabilities and Transgenders. <br />''<br />''Apart from an interest in agriculture, he also served as the president of the Chhattisgarh Archery Olympic Association. Earlier, last month, Maharashtra's ex-Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had expressed his desire to resign from the post and tendered his resignation soon thereafter. Subsequently, President Draupadi Murmu appointed Bais as the Governor of Maharashtra. <br />