Achal Kumar Joti takes over as new Chief Election Commissioner

Mr. Joti served as Chief Secretary of Gujarat under Narendra Modi.

The Election Commission will vigorously pursue its commitment to hold free, fair, inclusive and credible elections, said Achal Kumar Joti in New Delhi on July 6, 2017 as he took charge as the 21st Chief Election Commissioner.

He also said that the mission of ‘no voter is left behind’ will continue to be his priority even as focus area will be to actively promote e-governance for holding State and Lok Sabha elections.

The 64-year-old Joti, who was the Chief Secretary of Gujarat when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister, took over as the head of the Election Commission after Nasim Zaidi demitted office July 5, 2017.

Mr. Joti, a 1975-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, had joined the three-member poll panel as an election commissioner on May 8, 2015 and would be in office till January 17, 2017. He retired as the Gujarat Chief Secretary in January 2013. A CEC or an EC can have a tenure of six years or hold office till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

The government is also soon expected to appoint one more election commissioner to fill up the vacancy caused by Mr. Zaidi’s retirement.

Om Prakash Rawat is the other election commissioner in the poll panel.

Source:The Hindu