Ashok Lavasa Resigns As Election Commissioner, Set To Join Asian Development Bank As VP

Election Commissioner (EC) Ashok Lavasa, who was likely to take over as the poll body's chief next year, has resigned from his post, Hindustan Times reported.

Lavasa tendered his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday (18 August), as per the report.

The decision comes a month before he is going to join the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB). He will join the bank as vice-president for Private Sector Operations and Public-Private Partnership. He will succeed Diwakar Gupta, whose term will end on 31 August.

The retired 1980 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre, Lavasa was next in the line to head the Election Commission and become India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after the retirement of current CEC Sunil Arora in April 2021.

He has now become the second Election Commissioner to step down from the poll panel before the completion of term. Lavasa’s appointment as the ADB Vice-President was announced in mid July.

Lavasa was appointed as Election Commissioner in January 2018. He has previously held a range of senior posts, including Finance Secretary, Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and Civil Aviation Secretary.

(With inputs from IANS)