Navneet Sehgal Resigns as Prasar Bharati Chairman; Speculation Rises Over Possible Governor or LG Posting

Sehgal, a 1988-batch IAS officer known for his strong administrative influence across multiple UP governments, is regarded as close to the BJP’s central leadership. After retiring in July 2023, he was appointed to head the Prasar Bharati Board on March 16, 2024. His abrupt exit has raised questions about whether he is being considered for a gubernatorial or Lieutenant Governor position.

Senior officials familiar with internal discussions said one possibility is that Sehgal may be given a constitutional or political assignment ahead of upcoming key elections, particularly in West Bengal. Another view circulating within government circles suggests that the Prime Minister’s Office had grown dissatisfied with him, with certain complaints reportedly reaching the PMO before his resignation was accepted.

Sehgal has long been considered one of UP’s most influential bureaucrats. Over three decades, he served as District Magistrate in Gonda, Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Lucknow, and held senior roles under three successive political dispensations — the BSP under Mayawati, the Samajwadi Party under Akhilesh Yadav, and the BJP under Yogi Adityanath. His ability to retain prominence across governments has been widely noted in administrative circles.

His network and influence were on display earlier this year when leaders across the political spectrum, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, attended his son’s wedding in Lucknow.

With his exit from Prasar Bharati, attention has now shifted to whether the Centre will assign Sehgal a significant political or constitutional role in the coming months.