Lucknow: The top two administrative posts in Uttar Pradesh will fall vacant over the next two months.While DGP Prashant Kumar is due to retire on May 31, chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh will superannuate in July.Govt corridors are abuzz with speculations whether the two officers will get extensions or successors.Sources in the police department told TOI that the state govt has sought extension for the DGP and the request was sent to Delhi last week. However, there is no clarity yet what decision the Centre would take.Amid this, speculations are rife over Kumar's successor in case he does not get extension. Director general, vigilance, Rajeev Krishna is being seen as the frontrunner for the post.

Krishna is due to retire in June 2029.Among other names doing the rounds is DG, home guards, BK Maurya, who will retire in July this year, and the only woman DG Tilottama Varma, who currently heads the Training Headquarters. Varma will retire in Nov this year. MK Bashal, too, is said to be in the race, sources said. All these three officers are senior to Krishna.Sources said Maurya may make the cut in case UP govt gives consideration to caste in wake of political and electoral balancing.

In a bid to woo OBCs, Maurya's name would be apt. But there is a catch, he has just two months left for retirement. Bashal's name could be preferred if govt wants to please Dalits.Another officer in the race is Alok Sharma, who is DG Special Protection Group — the security detail of the Prime Minister. Sharma will retire in June 2026.One of these officers might get the top post only if the Yogi govt decides to continue with an acting DGP — as has been the case since Mukul Goyal was removed as DGP.

This allows govt to skip the seniority tradition while picking the top cop. The present DGP Prashant Kumar was in fact 14th in the seniority list when he was appointed as the acting DGP and continues to remain so.As of now, BK Maurya is 8th in the seniority list. He is preceded by Safi Ahsan Rizvi, who is DG NDMA, Ashish Gupta, DG Rules and Manuals, Aditya Misra, DG Fire Services, PV Ramasastry, DG Prisons, Sandeep Salunke, DG Human Rights Commission, Daljit Singh Chaudhary, DG BSF and Renuka Misra, DG attached to DGP.In the same way, Rajeev Krishna is 15th in the seniority list, Alok Sharma 13th, Tilottamat Varma 12th , and Bashal 10th.According to sources, the UP govt has not sent the DGP empanelled list to the Union Public Service Commission, which shortlists at least three senior-most IPS officers, of whom one can be appointed by the state government as per the Supreme Court ruling.With just a week left before Prashant Kumar retires, chances are that either he will be given extension or succeeded by another acting DGP.In the case of chief secretary, six officers are in the seniority list including the incumbent Manoj Kumar Singh. Unlike the DGP, Singh is not the acting chief secretary and therefore unlikely to be succeeded by an acting chief secretary.The first option for the state govt would be to seek extension of at least six months for Singh. If govt decides against it, then next in seniority is additional chief secretary to the Chief Minister, SP Goyal.

He has been with the CM office since May 2017.Next is Union agriculture secretary Devesh Chaturvedi. He has been on central deputation since Aug last. Chaturvedi is due to retire in Feb next year and Goyal in Jan 2027.APC and ACS, finance, Deepak Kumar, though 5th in the seniority list, is also in the race.Chairman Revenue Board Anil Kumar II is next in the list after Chaturvedi. Anil Kumar II will retire in May next year.

Next to him is Himanshu Kumar, who will retire in Oct this year. Since Anil Kumar and Himanshu Kumar have not been on relatively significant posts in the Yogi govt it is believed after Goyal and Chaturvedi, if anyone can make the cut is likely to be Deepak Kumar. Lucknow: The top two administrative posts in Uttar Pradesh will fall vacant over the next two months.While DGP Prashant Kumar is due to retire on May 31, chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh will superannuate in July.Govt corridors are abuzz with speculations whether the two officers will get extensions or successors.Sources in the police department told TOI that the state govt has sought extension for the DGP and the request was sent to Delhi last week. However, there is no clarity yet what decision the Centre would take.Amid this, speculations are rife over Kumar's successor in case he does not get extension. Director general, vigilance, Rajeev Krishna is being seen as the frontrunner for the post.

Krishna is due to retire in June 2029.Among other names doing the rounds is DG, home guards, BK Maurya, who will retire in July this year, and the only woman DG Tilottama Varma, who currently heads the Training Headquarters. Varma will retire in Nov this year. MK Bashal, too, is said to be in the race, sources said. All these three officers are senior to Krishna.Sources said Maurya may make the cut in case UP govt gives consideration to caste in wake of political and electoral balancing.

In a bid to woo OBCs, Maurya's name would be apt. But there is a catch, he has just two months left for retirement. Bashal's name could be preferred if govt wants to please Dalits.Another officer in the race is Alok Sharma, who is DG Special Protection Group — the security detail of the Prime Minister. Sharma will retire in June 2026.One of these officers might get the top post only if the Yogi govt decides to continue with an acting DGP — as has been the case since Mukul Goyal was removed as DGP.

This allows govt to skip the seniority tradition while picking the top cop. The present DGP Prashant Kumar was in fact 14th in the seniority list when he was appointed as the acting DGP and continues to remain so.As of now, BK Maurya is 8th in the seniority list. He is preceded by Safi Ahsan Rizvi, who is DG NDMA, Ashish Gupta, DG Rules and Manuals, Aditya Misra, DG Fire Services, PV Ramasastry, DG Prisons, Sandeep Salunke, DG Human Rights Commission, Daljit Singh Chaudhary, DG BSF and Renuka Misra, DG attached to DGP.In the same way, Rajeev Krishna is 15th in the seniority list, Alok Sharma 13th, Tilottamat Varma 12th , and Bashal 10th.According to sources, the UP govt has not sent the DGP empanelled list to the Union Public Service Commission, which shortlists at least three senior-most IPS officers, of whom one can be appointed by the state government as per the Supreme Court ruling.With just a week left before Prashant Kumar retires, chances are that either he will be given extension or succeeded by another acting DGP.In the case of chief secretary, six officers are in the seniority list including the incumbent Manoj Kumar Singh. Unlike the DGP, Singh is not the acting chief secretary and therefore unlikely to be succeeded by an acting chief secretary.The first option for the state govt would be to seek extension of at least six months for Singh. If govt decides against it, then next in seniority is additional chief secretary to the Chief Minister, SP Goyal.

He has been with the CM office since May 2017.Next is Union agriculture secretary Devesh Chaturvedi. He has been on central deputation since Aug last. Chaturvedi is due to retire in Feb next year and Goyal in Jan 2027.APC and ACS, finance, Deepak Kumar, though 5th in the seniority list, is also in the race.Chairman Revenue Board Anil Kumar II is next in the list after Chaturvedi. Anil Kumar II will retire in May next year. Next to him is Himanshu Kumar, who will retire in Oct this year. Since Anil Kumar and Himanshu Kumar have not been on relatively significant posts in the Yogi govt it is believed after Goyal and Chaturvedi, if anyone can make the cut is likely to be Deepak Kumar.