Sheila Dikshit was Delhi's Chief Minister for three straight terms. (File photo)
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is likely to be appointed the next Governor of Kerala, three months after her defeat in last year's Assembly polls.
Highly placed sources have told news agency PTI that the decision has been conveyed to the 75-year-old leader, who will succeed Nikhil Kumar, a former Delhi Police Commissioner.
There has, however, been no official confirmation of Ms Dikshit's appointment from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Sheila Dikshit served as Chief Minister of Delhi for 15 years from 1998 to 2013. She has also represented Kannauj constituency of Uttar Pradesh in Lok Sabha between 1984 and 1989.
In the Delhi Assembly elections last year, Ms Dikshit was defeated by Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party or AAP from the prestigious New Delhi seat. Mr Kejriwal, whose 49-day government fell over the Jan Lokpal issue last month, won by more than 22,000 votes.
Sources say Nikhil Kumar is expected to resign as Governor of Kerala shortly. The former Congress MP is reportedly keen to contest Lok Sabha polls from Aurangabad in Bihar.
RJD President Lalu Prasad visited Mr Kumar's home in Patna setting off speculation of him contesting the Aurangabad seat, which he had won in 2004. Mr Kumar is the son of veteran Congress leader and former Bihar chief minister Satyendra Narayan Singh.