Khare, a former journalist with The Hindu, resigned a couple of hours after the official order formalising Pachauri’s appointment was issued, which said he would report to Pulok Chatterjee, principal secretary to the prime minister. Until late tonight, Khare had had no word on whether his resignation had been accepted.

The developments which surprised many in bureaucratic and media circles carries a subtext: the emergence of Chatterjee as the clear power centre in the PMO. Sources said Chatterjee began some weeks ago to consider the idea of a specialised team to address the image deficit that the PM has been suffering for some time.

The matter, sources said, was discussed at a meeting of a core group of officials at which the I&B secretary was present but Khare was not. There was no showdown between Chatterjee and Khare, PMO sources indicated, yet their incompatibility was never hidden, especially on the approach to the PM’s PR. “It is only action which speaks in the PMO. Nothing happens openly,” said a source.

Indications are Chatterjee will now make some more changes in other sections of the PMO. He has already brought in R Ramanujam as additional secretary, and is expected to bring in changes at the level of joint secretary as well. Viny Mahajan’s extension ends in March, and Pankaj Saran is set to go to Dhaka as high commissioner.

Insiders said Chatterjee has begun to get involved in issues of national security and foreign affairs as well, and pointed to his participation in delegation level discussions on foreign visits. Chatterjee’s predecessor T K A Nair never accompanied the PM on official visits, leaving such matters to others in the PMO. When contacted this evening, Khare, who joined the PMO in June 2009, said he had sent his resignation to the PM, thanking him for the opportunity to work with him. “I want to rediscover the joys of being a reporter,” he said.

Sources, however, said Khare was hurt about being kept in the dark on what was brewing. He got a sense only yesterday, from Pachauri’s presence in the PMO. Yesterday’s press release on the PM assuring timebound action on power sector issues was in fact drafted by Pachauri, said a source.