With the terms of chiefs of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force about to end in a week, parties are wrestling over top cops, as leaders seem to be bent on getting “comfortable persons” to head the two security agencies. 

The governing CPN (Maoist Centre) is vying to get the man it favours to lead the APF while the coalition partner, the Nepali Congress, has its interest in Nepali Police. 

But so far, focus has been on Nepal Police chief. 

DIG Nawaraj Silwal, chief of the Central Investigation Bureau; DIG Prakash Aryal, chief of the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division; DIG Jay Bahadur Chand, chief of Narcotics Control Bureau and DIG Bam Bahadur Bhandari, chief of Special Bureau are the front runners. 

Nepal Police IG Upendra Kant Aryal and APF IG Durja Kumar Rai are retiring on February 14. 

According to sources, Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba wants DIG Chand as the chief of Nepal Police and “has been in talks” with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi, who is also a leader from his party. 

Deuba and Nidhi on Sunday held talks about the possible Nepal Police chief, it is learnt.  

According to sources, Home Minister Nidhi is for appointing chief of Nepal Police on the basis of seniority, which will mean DIG Silwal should succeed IG Aryal, but Deuba has been pressing for installing DIG Chand at the Nepal Police Headquarters. 

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also the chairman of the Maoist Centre, and Deuba too are learnt to have held talks about the new IGs, but they have not reached any decision, the sources said. 

An aide to PM Dahal said that the PM is of the belief that seniority should not be breached. At least two NC leaders told the Post on the condition of anonymity that party President Deuba is for picking DIG Chand as the new IG. NC lawmakers from the far-west region and far-west district presidents are learnt to have piled pressure on Deuba. A Congress leader told the Post that during Sunday’s talks, Deuba kept on pushing Nidhi to pick Chand as the new Nepal Police chief. 

A senior police official told the Post that DIG Aryal could emerge as the new police chief if the wrangling continues over Silwal and Chand. 

When asked, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak admitted that he too has heard about political manoeuvrings over the appointment of police chiefs. “But no formal decision has been taken as of now,” said Lekhak, admitting that there has been pressure from various quarters.   

Lobby groups are learnt to have focused more on Nepal Police rather than the APF.

As far as the APF is concerned, AIGs Singha Bahadur Shrestha, Prem Shahi and Prakash Ojha are eligible to head the paramilitary force.