New Delhi: Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, who was next in the line to head the Commission, resigned Tuesday from his post. Ashok Lavasa is all set to take charge as vice-president (VP) of the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) next month.
Grabbing headlines
Lavasa grabbed headlines as election commissioner when he registered his dissent on a particular issue. He was against the poll panel’s clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then BJP President Amit Shah. An inquiry had been conducted on alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by the two.
Also read: Election Commissioner Lavasa opts out of EC meetings amid dissent over clean chits
Lavasa’s resignation comes a month after the ADB appointed him as vice-president for Private Sector Operations and Public-Private Partnership. He will succeed Diwakar Gupta, whose term will end August 31.
Giving up prestigious position
The retired 1980 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre, Lavasa was next in the line to head the Election Commission. He would have become India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after the retirement of current CEC Sunil Arora in April 2021. Lavasa 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 had previously held a range of senior posts. Among them were Finance Secretary, Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Civil Aviation Secretary.
