Exclusive: Why DG Rank Officers in Delhi Are Not Willing to Run Bihar's DGP Race?

The race for Bihar's next DGP has suddenly turned into one of the more closely watched administrative contests. With incumbent DGP Vinay Kumar opting for voluntary retirement just three months short of completing his tenure, speculation has kicked in about whether New Delhi will once again weigh in on who gets to lead Bihar Police. And, predictably, the chatter has begun.

But top sources are quick to draw a line here: this isn't the UP DGP selection playbook. "The degree of the Center's discussion and intervention in UP's case is far higher than what's unfolding around Bihar," a source said. Still, given the current law-and-order optics in the state, the issue has gained enough traction in Delhi's corridors of power to warrant attention. 

No DG in Line

Here's the twist: despite being technically eligible and part of the formal selection process, the handful of Bihar-cadre officers holding DG rank in the Center barely few are simply not interested in going back as DGP.

And the reason, top sources say, has little to do with the job itself and everything to do with what surrounds it: a persistent power struggle at the DGP level, both within the police hierarchy and from influential players outside it, that ends up clipping the DGP's authority and decision-making. This isn't new. Top sources said a similar undercurrent was reported a few years ago when then-DGP R.S. Bhatti chose to step away from the state altogether, opting instead to head CISF as its DG.

The Real Struggle

Perhaps the most telling detail is this: a DG-rank officer reportedly once told the state leadership, in no uncertain terms, that his willingness to return as DGP hinges entirely on one condition: operational and administrative freedom, with minimal interference. As the race for Bihar's next DGP heats up, the episode is a reminder that a title alone doesn't run an institution; command, autonomy, and respect for the office do. Without that, even the top chair in the state's police hierarchy struggles.