Three in the run to replace Mishra

NEW DELHI: Three top aides to Congress President Sonia Gandhi are tipped as leading candidates for the Indian security adviser’s slot. KN Natwar Singh, JN Dixit and Mani Shankar Iyer are all vying with each other for the slot and are likely to replace Brajesh Mishra. The contest is of great significance against the backdrop of the ongoing dialogue between India and Pakistan. Congress sources believe that that Ms Gandhi may prefer Dixit for the post because she may like to utilise the services of the other two men in the political setup. Dixit, a former foreign secretary also served as India’s envoy in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and is known for South Asian diplomatic experience. Dixit’s supporters believe that his appointment will ensure the continuity of the thaw in India-Pakistan ties. Both countries almost reached a deal on the de- militarization of Siachen glacier during his stint as foreign secretary in 1992. Ms Gandhi has set up a core group to draw a plan for top bureaucratic reshuffle. The core group is understood to have worked out a three-tier strategy to come into force from the first week of June. It suggests removing 18 top government officials believed to be supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party and close friends of the outgoing union ministers. The Home Ministry, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI), Finance Ministry and the Defence Ministry have been identified as departments that are packed with bureaucrats having good terms with the NDA government. “It is time that these seniors were replaced with officials of our own confidence,” a core group member said. —Iftikhar Gilani

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