Sixty-nine-year-old VP Singh Badnore replaced Kaptan Singh Solanki as Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator at a swearing-in ceremony held at the state's Raj Bhavan on Monday, PTI reported. Soon after, Banwarilal Purohit was sworn in as the governor of Assam at the Raj Bhavan in Guwahati. Solanki, who is the governor of Haryana, had held the additional charge of Punjab governor and administrator of Chandigarh since January 2015.

Badnore was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice SJ Vazifdar. He is a four-time BJP legislator in the Rajasthan Assembly and former Rajya Sabha member. Official records describe him as an agriculturist, environmentalist, social worker and sportsperson. He graduated in business management from Mayo College, Ajmer. He had served as chairperson of the special task force to rehabilitate tigers in Sariska (Rajasthan) from 2005-09.

In Guwahati, Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court Ajit Singh officiated over Purohit's swearing-in ceremony. Purohit has been involved in social, political, educational and industrial issues in Vidarbha in Maharashtra and was elected to the Maharashtra Assembly for the first time in 1978. He is also known as the person behind the revival of English daily The Hitavada, started by Mahatma Gandhi's mentor Gopal Krishna Gokhale.