Khare quits as media advisor after PMO appoints Pachauri

Harish Khare, media advisor to the prime minister, resigned on Thursday, just hours after NDTV India senior editor and prime time anchor Pankaj Pachauri  was appointed as communication advisor in the prime minister's office.

A release from the PMO said that Pachauri will advise the prime minister on communication strategies in the print, electronic and social media. It added said that Pachauri will report directly to the principal secretary to the prime minister, Pulok Chatterjee.

In a communiqué following his resignation, Khare thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the opportunity to work under him. But "I want to rediscover the joys of being a reporter," he said.

It however seems clear to observers that Khare's resignation was triggered by the appointment of TV journalist Pachauri with overlapping authority without consulting him. Moreover, Pachauri would work independently and not be accountable to Khare.

The appointment letter puts Pauchauri on par with Khare. It suggests the need for a strengthening of the "media wing" of the PMO. A section of the government has been blaming the lack of media management in the PMO for its declining image.

Khare might have lived with the overlap of responsibilities; but what precipitated his appointment was that he was not consulted over the appointment and that Pachauri would report directly to Pulok Chatterjee, principal secretary to the PM.

Khare joined the PMO after the United Progressive Alliance won a second term (UPA-2, as the media has dubbed it) with a bigger majority. He is known for his wide contacts among politicians across the spectrum.