Chawla tipped for TN Guv?

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With the term of Surjit Singh Barnala ending in a couple of weeks, the UPA government at the Centre must focus on finding a ‘suitable’ successor who will be able to strike a good working relationship with the new AIADMK regime even while protecting the Congress interests in the state.

The name of former chief election commissioner Navin Chawla is being mentioned.

Amid the many political upheavals in recent days, the UPA would have to be careful in choosing the next Governor. The choice could also indicate the direction that the Congress relations with the AIADMK will take in the coming months, even as its alliance with the DMK seems tottering.

Mr Barnala was the perfect Governor as long as the DMK was in power as he was a close buddy for party chief M. Karunanidhi.

The DMK patriarch has been grateful to the affable Punjabi as he had refused to recommend the dismissal of his government despite heavy pressure from the Chandra Shekhar regime. For standing his ground, Mr Barnala was transferred to Bihar and he resigned.

He returned as TN Governor in November 2004 and thanks to closeness to Karunanidhi, got a fresh term of five years that ends June 19.

Former CEC Navin Chawla, sources say is a strong contender for the Governor’s post, post-Barnala. He is close to the Congress leadership and is said to enjoy a fairly good rapport with chief minister Jayalalithaa.

With the Parliament polls due in 2014, the Congress would very much like to have a ‘friendly’ tenant at Chennai’s Raj Bhavan, who is also capable of being the cupid for new alliances when the expected break in marriage with the DMK happens.