New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) Four of the eight newly appointed governors - Shivraj Patil (Punjab), K. Sankaranarayanan (Maharashtra), E.S.L. Narasimhan (Andhra Pradesh) and M.O.H. Farook (Jharkhand - took their oath Friday at ceremonies held in respective state capitals.
Patil, a former union home minister and ex-Lok Sabha speaker, was administered the oath of office by Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal at the Punjab Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh.

He will also hold the charge of administrator of the union territory of Chandigarh.

Patil replaces S.F. Rodrigues, a former Army chief, who completed his tenure. He is the first political personality in two decades to become Punjab governor. The post was mostly held by retired army chiefs.

K. Sankaranarayanan was sworn in as the new governor of Maharashtra at a simple ceremony in Mumbai by acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court J.N. Patel.

Sankaranarayanan, a former minister in Kerala, was appointed governor of Nagaland in February 2007 and was moved to Jharkhand in July 2009.

Farook was administered oath of office and secrecy by Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. A former chief minister of Puducherry, he was appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia in 2004.

Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court A.R. Dave administered the oath of office to E.S.L. Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad.

Narasimhan, governor of Chhattisgarh, was sworn in Dec 27 after being given additional charge of Andhra Pradesh, following the resignation of N.D. Tiwari over allegations of his involvement in a sex scandal. After being appointed full-time governor last week, Narasimhan was sworn in again in accordance with constitutional requirements.

President Pratibha Patil had appointed the new governors Jan 16. The new governors of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal are expected to assume charge of their offices before Republic Day.