Former Indian Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, will replace Vinai Kumar Saxena as the new Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi, Rashtrapati Bhavan announced on Thursday.
According to the Rashtrapati Bhavan notification, Sandhu’s appointment as the next Delhi LG will take effect from the dates he will assume charge of their respective offices.
Who is Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the new Delhi LG?
Taranjit Singh Sandhu is a former Indian diplomat who served as India’s Ambassador to the United States from February 2020 to January 31, 2024.
Sandhu, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1988, is credited with playing a key role in opening the Indian embassy in Ukraine.
He served as the head of the political and administration wing at the Indian Embassy in Ukraine.
From serving as First Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Washington, to Consul General of India in Frankfurt, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Washington D.C., Sandhu held several key diplomatic assignments during his career spanning more than three and a half decades.
After retiring from the IFS, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party months before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP fielded him as its Lok Sabha candidate from Amritsar against Congress leader Gurjit Singh Aujla.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and later completed his Master of Arts (MA) from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.