The government on Friday appointed former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar as the new election commissioner in place of Ashok Lavasa who had resigned with effect from August 31.
"In pursuance of clause (2) of article 324 of the Constitution, the president is pleased to appoint Shri Rajiv Kumar, (IAS retired) as the election commissioner with effect from the date he assumes the office vice Shri Ashok Lavasa, election commissioner who has resigned with effect August 31," said a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
A 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service officer from Jharkhand cadre, Kumar has more than three decades of experience in public policy and administration. Before joining the finance ministry, he was the establishment officer in the Department of Personnel and Training.
Kumar's appointment comes at a time when the election commission is preparing to hold Bihar assembly polls amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Lavasa had on Tuesday sent his resignation as election commissioner to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was next in line to head the poll panel. According to reports, he would soon be joining the Asian Development Bank as vice president.
Lavasa's term in the EC would have ended in October 2022 had he become the chief election commissioner.
He is the second election commissioner to step down from the poll panel before the completion of his term. In 1973, CEC Nagendra Singh resigned after he was appointed a judge in the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
