President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Patil as the new governor of the northeastern state with effect from his taking the new charge, Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said.
Patil, a close associate of Union minister Sharad Pawar, has represented Maharashtra's Satara in the Lok Sabha as an MP.
He is also a former IAS officer and will replace incumbent B P Singh.