Ramesh Bais (born 2 August 1947) is an Indian politician and was the governor of Maharashtra from 2023 to 2024. He also served as the governor of Jharkhand from 2021 to 2023 and the governor of Tripura from 2019 to 2021.[1] He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and has served as union minister of state (Independent Charge) for environment and forests in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Bais has been elected seven times to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, representing the Raipur constituency, including serving as a member of the 9th Lok Sabha (1989) and 11th to 16th Lok Sabha (1996–2019).
Bais was born on 2 August 1947 in Raipur, Central Provinces and Berar, British India (now in Chhattisgarh, India) to Khomlal Bais. He completed his Higher Secondary education from B.S.E., Bhopal. He married Rambai Bais on 1 May 1968. They have a son and two daughters. Bais is an agriculturist by profession.[2][3]
Bais was first elected to Municipal Corporation of Raipur in 1978. He won 1980 MP Assembly election from Mandir Hasod Constituency but lost 1985 Assembly election to his Congress rival Satyanarayan Sharma. He was elected for the first time to the Indian parliament as a member of the 9th Lok Sabha from Raipur in 1989 and was re-elected consecutively from 1996 to 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th Lok Sabha.
Served as Union Minister of State in Second and Third Vajpayee ministry holding various portfolios such as Steel, Mines, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Information and Broadcasting, and also Minister of State (Independent charge) for Mines and Environment & Forests.
As the 10th Governor of Jharkhand, Bais had several noticeable tensions with the state government led by Hemant Soren during his tenure.[7] One of the most prominent issues was his failure to disclose the Election Commission's recommendation on Soren's continuation as MLA over a mining case.[8] Bais also criticised the work culture in Jharkhand and flagged law and order as a significant problem. He returned several bills to the state government citing various loopholes, including bills passed by the government under the leadership of Hemant Soren, and the formation of the Tribal Advisory Council. Bais claimed he works according to the Constitution for the betterment of the state and stated that his successor would decide the fate of pending Bills and unfinished issues.[9][10]