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Ashok Kumar Appointed Delhi's New Chief Electoral Officer by ECI

The Election Commission of India has appointed Ashok Kumar, a 2006-batch IAS officer, as the new Chief Electoral Officer for Delhi. He replaces R Alice Vaz in the role with immediate effect. The ECI's directive mandates that Kumar must relinquish all other charges under the Delhi government and cannot hold any additional portfolios. The Delhi government has been instructed to ensure his immediate assumption of charge and to republish the appointment notification in the official gazette.

Key Points: Ashok Kumar Named Delhi's New Chief Electoral Officer

  • ECI appoints new Delhi CEO
  • Ashok Kumar replaces R Alice Vaz
  • 2006 batch IAS officer selected
  • Must assume charge immediately
  • Cannot hold additional government charge
2 min read

Ashok Kumar appointed as new Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi

ECI appoints 2006-batch IAS officer Ashok Kumar as Delhi's new Chief Electoral Officer, replacing R Alice Vaz. Details inside.

"Ashok Kumar shall cease to hold and hand over forthwith the charge of all or any charges of work under the Govt. of N.C.T. of Delhi - ECI Letter"

New Delhi, Feb 9

The ECI appointed Ashok Kumar, a 2006 batch IAS officer, as the new Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi in place of R Alice Vaz, an official said on Monday.​

Principal Secretary, ECI, Rahul Sharma, informed Delhi Chief Secretary Rajeev Varma about Ashok Kumar's appointment in an official letter on Monday.​

In January, the poll panel asked the Delhi government to furnish a panel of three IAS officers to select the CEO. Ashok Kumar was one of the three officers whose names were sent to the ECI by the Rekha Gupta government.​

The ECI's latest letter to the Chief Secretary said that "Ashok Kumar shall cease to hold and hand over forthwith the charge of all or any charges of work under the Govt. of N.C.T. of Delhi, which he may be holding before such assumption of office."

The ECI clarified that Ashok Kumar, while functioning as the Chief Electoral Officer, shall not hold any additional charge whatsoever under the Government of N.C.T. of Delhi, except that he should be designated Secretary to the Government in charge of the Election Department in the State Secretariat.​

A notification issued by the ECI secretariat confirming Ashok Kumar's appointment said, "In exercise of the powers conferred by subsection (1) of section 13A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950), the Election Commission of India in consultation with the Government of NCТ of Delhi hereby designates Shri Ashok Kumar, IAS (AGMUT: 2006) as the Chief Electoral Officer for the N.C.T. of Delhi with effect from the date he takes over charge and until further orders in place of R Alice Vaz, IAS."​

The ECI also asked the Chief Secretary to re-publish the notification in the Delhi Gazette.​

The Delhi government was also asked to ensure that Ashok Kumar assumes the charge of the office of the CEО, NCT of Delhi, immediately.​

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Hope the new CEO ensures smooth voter registration and addresses the issues with electoral rolls we saw last time. Delhi has many migrant voters whose names often get deleted. That should be the top priority. 🤞
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Aman W
A 2006 batch officer is quite experienced. But I have a respectful criticism: the article doesn't mention his previous postings or work in the election department. Transparency about an officer's background is important for public trust.
S
Sarah B
The procedural details here are actually fascinating. The consultation with the Delhi government, the official gazette notification – it shows the machinery of democracy at work. Wishing Officer Kumar all the best for this critical role.
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Nikhil C
Key takeaway: "shall not hold any additional charge." This is a good move by ECI to prevent conflict of interest. The CEO's office must be completely independent. Let's hope for free and fair elections in the capital! 🇮🇳

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