US AmbassadorKwatra, Misri in race to replace SandhuTwo of India’s top diplomats – Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Vikram Misri – are the front runners in the race to replace India’s ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who is scheduled to retire on January 31. Sandhu was to retire in January last year but was given a one-year extension. According to sources, it has been conveyed to the Indian ambassador to the US that his replacement would soon arrive in Washington to take charge from him. Sources said Kwatra, whose two-year term as foreign secretary is scheduled to come to an end in April this year, and Vikram Misri, currently working at the National Security Council Secretariat as Deputy National Security Advisor, are among the top contenders to be the next Indian ambassador to the US. Both Kwatra and Misri are establishment favourites. They enjoy excellent rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor A K Doval. India’s next man in Washington will be selected by these three men. Sources said in case they pick Kwatra for the job, Misri will most likely replace him in the South Block.Kissa Kursi KaNaming Kharge INDIA chief got Nitish’s goatThe INDIA bloc lost Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar the day it named Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as its chairman. Sources close to Nitish said their leader had rallied the opposition together as he wanted to lead the group and become the Prime Ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha election. But the opposition‘s decision to appoint Kharge as INDIA chairman spoiled his plan. He snapped all communication with the INDIA bloc from that day. Rahul Gandhi called him thrice but Nitish did not receive his calls. Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Singh and state legislature party leader Shakeel Khan were sent to talk to him. But Nitish refused to entertain them. Even when it became certain that Nitish was going to dump INDIA and join the NDA, Kharge and Sonia Gandhi tried to contact him. But he remained unavailable. JD(U) sources said the only reason their leader broke the alliance with the NDA was to fulfil his ambition of playing a role in national politics. “But some INDIA parties ignored his efforts in bringing the group together and denied him the role desired by him. They will now know the worth of Nitish Kumar,” said a senior JD(U) leader.
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