Will Harish Salve be wooed again for role of attorney general?

NEW DELHI: Harish Salve who earned a reprieve for former Indian navy commander Kulbhushan Jadhav causing a huge wave of relief to wash over the country was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first choice for attorney general.

Although Salve turned down the offer to be the top law officer citing his commitments, Modi had tried to persuade him to change his mind, even delayed the announcement of his pick for the coveted position.

Importantly, it was the second time that Salve had declined to be AG. The first offer came his way during the Vajpayee government when Soli J Sorabjee wanted to step down after completing three years as AG. Salve, however, did not accept the offer.

With the three-year term of the incumbent Mukul Rohatgi ending in June, possibility of Modi renewing his pitch to Salve was already being speculated. The applause by Modi and his ministers on Thursday can only give further ballast to it.

Senior members of the Cabinet, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley ,Venkaiah Naidu and others also lavished praise on the lawyer who spends most of his time in London these days.