Ashok Lavasa assumes charge as Election Commissioner of India

New Delhi : Ashok Lavasa on Tuesday assumed charge as the Election Commissioner of India at the Nirvachan Sadan here. President Ram Nath Kovind had appointed Lavasa to the post on Sunday.

Lavasa, a 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Haryana cadre, retired as the Union Finance Secretary on October 31 last year. In his 37-year service, he held crucial positions in Haryana and the central government.

He served as Principal Secretary and Financial Commissioner (Renewable Energy Sources, Power), Chief Coordinator (Industries), Resident Commissioner of Haryana, Managing Director of Haryana State Federation of Co-operative Sugar Hills (HSFCOSHL), Director of Haryana State Industrial Development Cooperation (HSIDC), Union Finance Secretary, Union Environment, Forests and Climate Change Secretary, Union Civil Aviation Secretary, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Power and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, apart from holding other important positions.

During his tenure at the Election Commission of India, he would oversee elections to the assemblies of around 28 states, including assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland in February.

Lavasa would also oversee the general election in 2019.