Ranjit Kumar may be named solicitor general today

NEW DELHI: More than a week after forming government, the BJP-led NDA regime is likely to notify the appointment of senior advocate Ranjit Kumar as solicitor general of India on Wednesday.

The law ministry is also likely to notify the appointment of five additional solicitors general — Maninder Singh, PS Patwalia, Tushar Mehta, Neeraj Krishna Kaul and PS Narasimha.

Law ministry sources said the SG and the team of ASGs have been requested to take charge as soon as possible as the new dispensation did not want the old team of law officers to continue representing the government in the Supreme Court and high courts.

However, they were tight lipped why senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi's name was not being notified as attorney general. There has been speculation in power corridors about certain last-minute hitches cropping up regarding Rohatgi's appointment as AG.

But top BJP sources dismissed these as baseless and said the issues relating to appointment of AG was being sorted out.

Last week, law ministry sources had said there was general consensus among top BJP leaders on the name of Rohatgi for the AG's post. But the notification appointing the AG, which was to be issued by Saturday, continues to remain on the discussion table.