Kolkata: C. V. Ananda Bose resigned as the Governor of West Bengal on Thursday after serving in the constitutional post for over three years, a move that comes months ahead of the state’s upcoming Assembly elections.

Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was “shocked and deeply concerned” by the sudden resignation and added that she was not aware of the reasons behind the decision.

“I am shocked and deeply concerned by the sudden news of the resignation of Shri C. V. Ananda Bose, the Governor of West Bengal. The reasons behind his resignation are not known to me at this moment,” Banerjee said in a post on X.

Bose, a retired 1977-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, assumed office as the Governor of West Bengal on November 23, 2022. He was administered the oath of office by then Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Prakash Shrivastava. He had been appointed to the post on November 17, 2022, replacing La Ganesan.

Before retiring from the civil services in 2011, Bose held several key administrative positions and later served as the administrator of the National Museum in Kolkata.

Apart from his administrative career, Bose was also known for his academic and literary contributions. A recipient of the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, he authored more than 70 books and over 350 publications across nine languages, including novels, essays and poetry.

Officials have not yet disclosed the circumstances leading to his resignation.