3 key contenders for Chief Secretary post

With Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan set to retire in two months because of superannuation, the buzz making rounds in the power corridors of Secretariat is - “Who is the next CS?”

Girija, who took over as the Chief Secretary in December 2016 post the demise of the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and the subsequent political turmoil within the ruling AIADMK, has now completed more than two years. With Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s government sitting on a wafer-thin margin, the role of Chief Secretary is crucial for the State and Centre’s relationship. Being head of the State administration, the Chief Secretary is also the chief coordinator between the State and the office of the Governor. According to Secretariat sources, there will not be any rat race for the top post and the political scenario prevailing during the month of June will play a major role in deciding the next CS.

If the present AIADMK and the BJP government continue both in the State and the Centre, there will be a smooth transition for the next Chief Secretary and the top three names of officers in the ranks of additional Chief Secretary includes K Shanmugham, (State Finance Secretary) Hans Raj Verma, (secretary – Rural Development and Panchayat Raj), Rajeev Ranjan (on deputation to GST council). Home secretary Niranjan Mardi is also in the race but has less than a year of service.

Names of TV Somanathan, who had served in the office of Prime Minister and Raja Gopal, and who is secretary to TN Governor Banwarilal Purohit, are also doing the rounds.

If the DMK- Congress combine comes to power, the seniormost IAS officer K Shanmugham who has been longest Finance Secretary is likely to be the next CS. Even for the AIADMK, the officer should not be an issue as he has both the seniority and a non-controversial service record, sources said. When asked about the possibility of giving an extension to the incumbent CS, a TN cadre official serving in the Union government said, usually, it is not done in the case of Chief Secretaries.