Ex-IAS officer Navneet Sehgal’s political network
Former IAS officer Navneet Sehgal, currently chairman of Prasar Bharati, is renowned for his extensive political network in Uttar Pradesh. This was once again evident at his son’s wedding reception in Lucknow this week. Among the distinguished attendees were UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party general secretary Satish Mishra, and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhna Mishra, alongside numerous other prominent figures.
Akhilesh Yadav’s presence dispelled speculation in UP’s political circles about his alleged discontent with Sehgal following his loss of power in 2017. Yogi Adityanath’s attendance, meanwhile, reaffirmed Sehgal’s close rapport—referred to by officials as his ‘tuning’—with ‘Maharaj ji’, despite Sehgal often being viewed as “the Centre’s man”. Sehgal was considered a significant power centre during both Akhilesh and Mayawati’s tenures as chief minister and later secured a place in Adityanath’s core team. Following his retirement, he was appointed chairman of Prasar Bharati in Delhi.
All eyes are now on his son’s second reception in Delhi on 30 March, as observers await a display of his political connections at the national level.
Centre debars Punjab IPS officer from deputation for five years
The Centre has taken a stringent stance against Punjab cadre IPS officer Akhil Chaudhary for opting for central deputation but subsequently refusing to take up the assigned post. As a consequence, he has been barred from central deputation and foreign assignments for a period of five years.
In August last year, Chaudhary, a 2012-batch IPS officer, reportedly expressed his willingness to join the CBI in Delhi. However, in October, the Ministry of Home Affairs assigned him the role of Superintendent of Police (SP) in the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) for a five-year term—a posting he declined.
According to sources, Chaudhary is said to have argued that he had specifically applied for a role within the CBI and that the Punjab government had not approved his name for the state’s offer list to the Centre in general.
However, sources indicate that the Centre has taken a firm view against what it perceives as indiscipline by officers attempting to “pick and choose” postings. When it comes to central deputation, they stated, officers may only express their willingness to serve in Delhi but cannot dictate the specific department in which they will be placed.
Shadow war in Gwalior BJP
A recent remark by Madhya Pradesh minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar has once again highlighted the ongoing shadow war within the state BJP. At a recent event in Gwalior, Tomar made a pointed request to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to prioritise Gwalior’s development. “Maharaj, without you, development is not happening in Gwalior… We understand your suffering and pain,” he said.
The comment was perceived within BJP circles as a veiled criticism of Gwalior MP Bharat Singh, who is believed to have complained to senior party leaders about Scindia’s involvement in his parliamentary constituency. Bharat Singh is known to be close to state assembly Speaker and former Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, whose rivalry with Scindia is well-known. Meanwhile, Pradyuman Singh Tomar is regarded as a close associate of Scindia.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
In earlier times, there was S K Mishra from Haryana cadre, unfazed by change of CMs.