London, June 12: Top economist Raghuram Rajan, who served as the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), is now in fray to potentially head the Bank of England. According to a Bloomberg report, Rajan is among the main contenders to replace outgoing chief of the British central bank, Mark Carney.

The next Governor will be appointed by Chancellor Philip Hammond later this year. Carney will complete his full term and step down from the coveted post in January 2020. Raghuram Rajan on Joining Politics: ‘My Wife Will Leave Me If I Do So’

Experts in UK have backed the candidature of Andrew Bailey, the chief executive of UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. Rajan, meanwhile, is predicted as the second closest contender by the Financial Times.

Rajan, however, has not confirmed whether he is the race for the next Bank of England chief's post. In February 2018, he had dismissed speculations of him vying for the top job in the Bank of England.

The 56-year-old is currently a professor in economics at the University of Chicago. Between 2013-16, he served as the chief of RBI. Between 2003-07, Rajan headed the New York-based International Monetary Fund (IMF).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 12, 2019 07:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).