Srinagar/New Delhi: The Union government on Tuesday appointed Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Malik will replace incumbent NN Vohra whose tenure as Jammu and Kashmir governor ended on June 25. Vohra was waiting to be relieved.

Malik, who is believed to have close links with the RSS was appointed as Bihar's governor in September 2017 by President Ram Nath Kovind. He was assigned the additional charge of the governor of Odisha this year.

Appointment of former MP and BJP's national vice-president as the new governor of Jammu and Kashmir is aimed at streamlining peace and security in the terror-hit State.

Vohra's two terms spanning 10 years ended on August 19, coinciding with the beginning of the annual Amarnath yatra. It was expected that the Centre would announce the name of the new governor after the yatra, the arrangement for which is a crucial affair for the State government.

Vohra was in the eye of a storm after he took a stand against the abrogation of Article 35A, which was evident when, under his rule, an affidavit was filed in the Supreme Court seeking postponement of the verdict on the constitutional provision.

The other issue with Vohra was his proximity to the PDP. He was the home secretary when former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Union home minister.