DS Chauhan To Be Security Advisor To CM Yogi Adityanath

The 1988-batch IPS officer Raj Kumar Vishwakarma may have been appointed new acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh, but Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to spring a surprise by appointing the outgoing DGP Devendra Singh Chauhan as Security Advisor to the CM.  

Mr Chauhan, therefore, would  continue calling shots in Uttar Pradesh Police even after retirement. This is now not the first time that a police officer is being appointed as security advisor to the chief minister. Mayawati had appointed Karamveer Singh as security advisor to the CM. But her successor Akhilesh Yadav did not appoint anybody on this post. Neither did Yogi Adityanath during his first term. Now Mr Chauhan is tipped to take over this position.

Mr Chauhan is the first IPS in the country to have continued as the acting DGP of any state for 11 months. But Mr Vishwakarma, too, has just two months left for retirement. Therefore, the state would not  be having a regular DGP during this period.

Uttar Pradesh Police, therefore, will have two power centres in Mr Chauhan and Mr Vishwakarma till he retires in May. Interestingly, a number of other senior officers would either retire during this period or would bow out of the race since they still be left with less than mandatory six-months period before retirement.

Lady DGP Unlikely

Such officers include Mukul Goel, Anil Kumar, and Chandra Prakash, who will be three senior officers in UP Police. Next in the seniority list, Mr Dalvir Chaudhury is currently on deputation and is unlikely to be in the fray. The next person is Ms Renuka Kumar, who, if selected, could have the honour of being the first woman DGP of UP, but the state government doesn't seem in the mood to oblige her.

Prashant  Sabat Frontrunners

The race for the top job, therefore, would be limited to next-in-line officers like Anand Kumar, Vijay Kumar, SN Sabat, and Prashant Kumar, most of whom were promoted as Special DG yesterday. Sabat and Prashant Kumar are said to be the frontrunner in the race for a regular DGP, to be appointed after Mr Vishwakarma retires in May 2023.

Mr Vishwakarma is the second most senior IPS officer in UP cadre after Mr Chauhan's predecessor Mukul Goyal was unceremoniously removed from the post midway through his tenure.

Earlier, four officers of the 1988 batch were in the race for the post of DGP. Among these, Vijay Kumar’s retirement is in January 2024. Anand Kumar will retire in April 2024. Anil Kumar Agarwal of the same batch, who is currently on central deputation, is due to retire in April 2023, while new DGP Dr Rajkumar Vishwakarma will retire in May 2023.

ABOUT NEW DGP

Mr Vishwakarma belongs to Jaunpur, UP. He is the second most senior IPS after Mukul Goyal in UP Police. His retirement is due in May 2023.

Mr Raj Kumar Vishwakarma has a no-nonsense working style and an honest image. He has also held the responsibility of the post of IG Law and Order in the Samajwadi Party government.