The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Cong opposes govt’s push for Verma, cites ‘inexperience’ in CBI
DELHI TOP COP LIKELY THE NEXT CBI CHIEF
WITH THE Election Commission allotting the Samajwadi Party’s ‘cycle’ poll symbol to the faction led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the announcement of a pre-poll alliance between the Congress and the Akhilesh-led group is “imminent”, top Congress sources said.
Sheila Dikshit, the Congress’s chief ministerial face in UP, said a decision is expected in the “next two-three days”.
“The announcement of the alliance is imminent. It should be announced any time. Both the parties, particularly the SP, was waiting for the result of the Election Commission,” a top Congress leader told The Indian Express. The leadership of both the sides got in touch with each other after the EC decision was announced, sources said.
There is a possibility of Akhilesh meeting Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi in the next two-three days, after which the alliance will be announced. Sources said both the leaders are expected to campaign in seats to be contested by both the parties. The campaign plan of Priyanka Vadra has not been finalised and sources said it is unlikely that she will campaign across the state.
AICC General Secretary in charge of UP Ghulam Nabi Azad had been in touch with Akhilesh and his lieutenant Ram Gopal Yadav. With filing of nominations for 73 seats in western UP beginning Tuesday, both the parties are now racing against time to conclude negotiations and announce the alliance.
Ram Gopal said he was hopefulofagrandalliancetakingshape in Uttar Pradesh. He said the first list of candidates of the party would be out in one or two days.
On the grand alliance, he said a decision would be taken by Akhilesh, but added “I am hopeful that it will happen”. With the Congress and Akhilesh faction trying to bring Ajit Singh’s RLD on board, back channel talks have gained urgency. RLD’S influence is in western Uttar Pradesh, known as the sugar cane belt, which goes to polls first on February 11 and for which filing of nominations begins Tuesday.
Speakingto The Indian Express, Dikshit congratulated Akhilesh on getting the party symbol. “The EC has taken a decision based on whatever information they got. That is all right. There is now a finality about it,” she said. Asked when the decision on the alliance can be expected, she said “I think in the next two-three days it should come out.”
She reiterated that she would step aside as the party’s chief ministerial candidate once the alliance is announced. Asked whether she would campaign for both the parties in UP, she said, “Certainly, I would be if I am asked. Let’s see what happens.”
The Congress is estimated to contest over 100 seats while RLD may get around two dozen seats. EVEN AS main Opposition Congress opposed it, Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Verma, a 1979-batch IPS officer, is said to have emerged as top candidate for the post of CBI director.
Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a three-member committee met on Monday to zero in on the next CBI chief. The panel also comprises Chief Justice of India J S Khehar and the Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.
In what could trigger another confrontation between the government and the Opposition, Kharge is learnt to have differed with the government’s move to push Verma’s candidature. Sources said Kharge contended that Verma has no experience of having served in the CBI, and cannot be appointed as its chief since that would be in violation of Supreme Court guidelines.
Verma has worked only with the Vigilance Bureau.
The two other top contenders for the post are said to be senior Union Home Ministry official Rupak Kumar Dutta and Maharashtra Director General of Police Satish Mathur.
Verma is a 1979 batch officer, while Dutta and Mathur are from the 1981 batch.
Sources in the Congress said the apex court’s guidelines based on two judgments, one of them by a bench headed by Justice J S Verma — make it clear that officers are to be empanelled on the basis of experience in CBI, integrity and seniority.
Sources in the government, however, said Verma ranks among the top in seniority and merit,andthattherearenoquestions on his integrity. His appointment, they said, is most likely. But the Congress is learnt to have contended that Verma had not served in the CBI and cited the past Supreme Court judgments.
Top Congress sources said Kharge could record his dissent in the event of Verma’s appointment. Congress leaders said the party expects that the criteria laid down by the two Supreme Court judgments, respected by all previous governments, will be honoured without any departure or dilution this time, too.
The Congress said an officer with no experience in the CBI cannot be appointed overlooking one — Dutta — who has spent more than 17 years in the agency.
Dutta, who has served as the CBI special director, was recently transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
A Maharashtra-cadre IPS officer, Mathur earlier served in the CBI and supervised the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts probe.
Verma’s batchmate and ITBP Director-general Krishna Chaudhary was also said to be in the running for the post. The list of probables put before the panel includes two women IPS officers: Archana Ramasundaram — the first woman IPS officer to head a paramilitary organisation, the Sashastra Seema Bal — and Meeran Borwankar, Directorgeneral, Bureau of Police Research and Development.