Vijai Sharma tipped to be new CIC; K V Chowdary may be made CVC

Names are understood to have been cleared in the meetings that PM Narendra Modi had on Monday with Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge

Senior-most Information Commissioner Vijai Sharma is tipped to be the new chief information commissioner (CIC), while former Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chief K V Chowdary is understood to be in the run for the central vigilance commissioner (CVC)'s post.

These names are understood to have been cleared at meetings that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Monday with Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

While Finance Minister Arun Jaitley attended the meeting on selection of a CIC, Home Minister Rajnath Singh attended the one on selection of a CVC. Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh was present at the meetings.

There was no official word on the subject but sources indicated 64-year-old Sharma could be named the CIC, a post lying vacant for nine months.

Sharma, a former environment secretary, has been working as information commissioner in the Central Information Commission since 2012. If appointed as chief of the transparency watchdog, he will have a tenure of about six months till he attains the age of 65 on December 2.

Chowdary was said to be the top contender, while acting CVC Rajiv was also in the race, sources said. Chowdary, who retired as CBDT chief in October last year, has been working as an advisor to a Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team, probing unaccounted money cases.

"The panels have met and their recommendations have been sent to the President's office. I cannot tell you the names. The meeting was confidential," Kharge said after the meeting.

To a question on whether there was disagreement on the names, he said there was no question of agreement or disagreement on the names.

A formal announcement of the names would take place after President Pranab Mukherjee, to whom the recommendations have gone, gives his assent. He is on a five-day visit abroad, till Thursday.

Earlier last month, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had attacked the Prime Minister over the delay in the appointments of chiefs of CIC, CVC and Lok Pal, saying the government feared transparency.