New Kerala Guv strikes cordial tone, hosts CM Vijayan and FM Sitharaman in Delhi. New Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan jointly received Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman at Kerala House in Delhi, on Wednesday morning. During former Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s tenure, tensions often escalated publicly, with the two leaders barely acknowledging each other, even when sharing the same platform. A telling sign of their frosty ties was the absence of a customary farewell for Khan — neither Vijayan nor his cabinet colleagues paid him a formal visit when he was departing from Kerala for Bihar. It’s encouraging to see the Governor become part of Team Kerala. Let this mark a new beginning for all of us,\” Vijayan said. The warm reception came after Arlekar hosted a dinner on Tuesday night for Vijayan, all the Kerala MPs and Kerala’s Special Representative in Delhi K.V. Thomas. This unusual gesture augurs well for our combined efforts to develop the state, beyond our political differences.