Shri Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been appointed as Governor of Goa.
Shri Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, born on 26 June 1951, is a veteran Indian politician and the current Governor of Goa, appointed on 14 July 2025. He is a prominent member of the royal Pusapati family of the Vizianagaram princely state in Andhra Pradesh and the younger son of Maharaja Pusapati Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju, the last ruling Maharaja of Vizianagaram. With a political career spanning over four decades, Raju has held several significant positions at both the state and national levels. He served as a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly for more than 25 years and was a state cabinet minister for 13 years, handling crucial portfolios such as Finance, Revenue, Commercial Taxes, Excise, Legislative Affairs, and Relief and Rehabilitation.
Raju’s political journey began in 1978 when he won his first assembly election from Vizianagaram as a Janata Party candidate. He joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 and continued to win successive elections in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2009. In 2014, he was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Vizianagaram and served as Union Minister for Civil Aviation in the NDA government. In 2018, he resigned from the Cabinet, strongly advocating for special category status to Andhra Pradesh, underlining his commitment to state interests.
He is the 11th Custodian of his family and has actively contributed to public life beyond politics. He chaired the Maharaja Alak Narayana Society of Arts and Science (MANSAS), which runs numerous educational institutions, and was instrumental in the development of Vizianagaram district. Raju has also served as President of the Andhra Cricket Association and was key to setting up several sports training centres in the region. His interests span public health, education, water conservation, and town planning, and he has undertaken foreign visits to study urban development models.
Educated at Scindia School, Hyderabad Public School, and V.S. Krishna College, Raju comes from a lineage known for philanthropy and public service. He continues to uphold these traditions in his current role as Governor, bringing with him a rich legacy of governance, reform, and social commitment. Married to Suneela since 1974, he is a family man with two daughters and a respected figure in both political and social circles.
IndianBureaucracy.com wishes Shri Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju the very best.