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Bangalore, Feb 7: Chief Secretary P B Mahishi has been shunted out. He has been replaced by a relatively low profile official, Sudhakar Rao, who was additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner. Mahishi has been posted as chairman of Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd.

This website’s newspaper on Dec 7, 2007 had reported that Mahishi was on his way out. Congress leaders had bayed for his blood as he was considered as a close confidant of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.

Congress leaders took the initiative to remove Mahishi after Rameshwar Thakur assumed power after declaring President’s rule in November last year.

Mahishi was made CS on Dec 31, 2006 ahead of five senior officers who were overlooked because of his proximity to then Power and Energy Minister H D Revanna. Before being appointed CS, he was working as Principal Secretary (Power and Energy departments).

This is the third instance where a CS has been replaced by the government. Earlier, S Bangarappa had replaced then Chief Secretary Shankaranarayan with J Alexander, who was in turn shunted out by the next chief minister M Veerappa Moily.

Sudhakar Rao, a 1972 batch officer, has been considered for the post after seniors like Dilip Rau and Neeraja Rajkumar were overlooked.

Sources say that Rao pulled his strings at the Centre through his wife Nirupama Rao, who is an envoy to China. If not disturbed, he would remain in the post till September 2009.

Meanwhile, Neeraja Rajkumar has been appointed as Additional Chief Secretary and Chairperson, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation Ltd.