New Delhi, Mar 13: President Pratibha Patil today accepted the resignation of Mukut Mithi, lieutenant governor of Puducherry and appointed (Retired) Lieutenant General of Andaman and Nicobar, Bhopinder Singh as a new lieutenant governor of Puducherry.

Mithi sent in his resignation Wednesday, saying that he wants to contest the Rajya Sabha elections due March 26.

Mithi had served the Union Territory for one-and-a-half years, after assuming office on July 19, 2006.

Mithi had earlier served as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh from January 1999 to July 2003, apart from the post of minister in three successive governments from
1985 to 1999. (ANI)