Former army chief General (retd) VK Singh, who has associated himself with anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare after retirement in May, is likely to be one of the 10 core team members of Hazare’s non-political outfit, sources close to the activist told HT. There has been intense speculation that Singh would join the political party that Hazare’s associates Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan plan to float in the near future.

But it now seems clear that Singh, who was not available for comment when contacted by HT, will be part of the core team of the anti-corruption campaign led by Hazare.

Hazare is trying to broadbase his movement with a two-pronged strategy. He is keen to maintain his apolitical image through the new committee and at the same time campaign for what he calls “clean candidates” to settle scores with the UPA government for not bringing his team’s version of the lokpal bill in Parliament.

Hazare, 75, who arrived in Bangalore on August 27 for treatment at the Jindal Nature Cure Hospital and is to be discharged on Monday, did not speak about reconstituting his team or inclusion of Singh as a core team member.

He reiterated that he has no plans to launch a political party but would campaign against corruption till his last breath. “We have to bring awareness among the people to send good people to our Parliament but we will not go to Parliament,” he said.

Asked if he planned to drop close associates such as Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan for announcing plans to launch a new party, Hazare said, “There is no idea of falling apart. We will go united with a new spirit.”