23 August 2016 12:00 am Views - 2271
A cold war that raged over the highest post in the army ceased when the incumbent was finally granted a one-year service extension.
The service extension thus granted also put paid to the ambitions nurtured by seven or eight in the line of succession who were eying the prestigious post.
Championing of the hopefuls for the coveted post on the basis of their old school ties as well as usual political maneuverings had their full play behind both the cold war and the granting of the extension, they say.
A certain group had heavily lobbied to have the service extension to the incumbent one pruned to six months to make way for a ‘Thilaka’ of their choice.
Meanwhile, a political figure with ties to the army had made representations to those in the highest echelons on behalf of a kin of his now functioning as a commander of a certain area. However, the contender he backed will attain the required seniority only in another one year and that accounts for the one-year extension granted to the incumbent, says an informed source.