After Kerala and Karnataka, the race for the top police post in Uttar Pradesh began even before the government launched the process to pick the replacement of DGP Prashant Kumar, a 1990-batch IPS officer, who retires from service this month. Sources said it is unknown whether the state government will forward a panel of names to the UPSC or opt for its amended rules for selecting the new DGP.
Apart from Prashant Kumar, UP cadre IPS officers, including DG (Jail) PV Ramasastri of the 1989 batch and DG (Training, Police Headquarters) Sanjay M Tarde of the 1994 batch, will also retire on May 31. This will change the seniority list of police officers in the state.
Therefore, 1990 batch officers like DG (State Human Rights Commission) Sandeep Salunke, DG BSF Daljit Singh Chaudhary, DG attached to DGP headquarters Renuka Mishra and DG (Training) Tilottama Verma are seen as front-runners for the coveted job, sources said. Tilottama Verma is the senior-most of them. The grapevine has it that she might be the final choice, leading to UP getting its first woman DGP.
BJP may induct prominent MPs
The BJP is reportedly preparing for a significant wave of inductions. Several prominent leaders from rival parties, including five MPs, among them three sitting, are expected to join their ranks over the next six weeks. According to sources, one of the sitting MPs is a woman known for her strong nationalist stance and outspoken support for the government during Operation Sindoor. It could happen towards the end of June or shortly after the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
“This much-anticipated political shift is likely to deliver a substantial blow to a major opposition party,” a source hints. Ahead of these high-profile entries, the BJP is said to be creating a conducive environment for MPs from Opposition — those who have consistently supported PM Narendra Modi’s government on matters of national importance — to break ranks and align themselves with the BJP’s vision of nation-building.
There’s suspense about the names, except for a BJP functionary’s clue that “they are law-makers who dare stand up for the nation, even while being part of parties that routinely oppose the government’s positive initiatives.” What about Congress MP Shashi Tharoor? The senior functionary responded cryptically: “Our party respects his intellect and unwavering dedication to the nation. For us, the nation comes first — everything else follows.”
