NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday appointed new governors in four states, including in politically volatile West Bengal, where former MP and noted Supreme Court lawyer Jagdeep Dhankhar has been named for the post replacing BJP leader from UP Keshari Nath Tripathi.Dhankhar (68), who was Union deputy minister of parliamentary affairs in 1990-91, quit Congress in 2003 and became a member of BJP. Anandiben Patel , 77, who was appointed MP governor last year, has been shifted to UP where current governor Ram Naik has completed his term.The MLA from Ghosi in eastern UP, Phagu Chauhan, is a surprise pick for the Bihar governor’s post as the Modi dispensation continues to reward party leaders and use the talent pool of the BJP cadre. Nomination of Chauhan to Bihar Raj Bhavan is a strong bid to reach out to the weaker sections among OBCs of UP, as the community had been loyal to the saffron party and played the crucial role in its back-toback victories since 2014.Chauhan comes from Nonia caste, which has a strong presence in several constituencies in eastern UP. Another Nonia leader from the same area, Dara Singh Chauhan, also head of BJP OBC Morcha, is a senior minister in the Yogi cabinet. Chauhan will replace Lalji Tandon, who will take over as governor of Madhya Pradesh.Saturday’s appointments came four days after two important gubernatorial assignments with an intent to send a political message as sitting Rajya Sabha member Anusuiya Uikey and senior BJP leader Biswa Bushan Harichandan were appointed governors of Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. Hailing from Chhindwara, Uikey has been an activist taking interest in the delivery of justice to women, especially tribal women.Last Monday, the government had appointed senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra as Himachal Pradesh governor, replacing Acharya Devvrat, who has now become the governor of Gujarat.BJP veteran from Chhattisgarh, Ramesh Bais, has been appointed Tripura governor. Retired Intelligence Bureau special director N Ravi, who was the Centre’s interlocutor for Naga talks, has been appointed Nagaland governor.