Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa Resigns; To Join Asian Development Bank As Vice-President

Ashok Lavasa is all set to join the Asian Development Bank as vice-president next month. He will take over from vice-president Diwakar Gupta who's tenure ends on August 31.

(Image: Twitter)

New Delhi: Retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Ashok Lavasa, who was next in line to take charge as the chief of Indian poll body, has reportedly stepped down from his post of Election Commissioner on Tuesday, and is set to join the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as the Vice-President next month.  According to the media reports, Lavasa tendered his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind and requested that he be relieved from his responsibilities by the end of this month. It has not been confirmed yet if the President has accepted his resignation. Lavasa still has over two years left in his tenure at the Election Commission of India. He would have retired as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in October 2022. After his early departure, Sushil Chandra is next in the line of succession. Meanwhile, Lavasa is all set to join the Asian Development Bank as vice-president next month. He will take over from vice-president Diwakar Gupta who's tenure ends on August 31. Notably, the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank had announced Lavasa’s appointment last month on July 15. In an official press statement, ADB had said: "He (Lavasa) has extensive experience in public-private partnerships and infrastructure development at the state and federal levels, with deep knowledge on public policy and the role of the private sector." Appointed for a term of three years, Lavasa as ADB Vice-President will be responsible for private sector operations, and public-private partnerships. The retired IAS officer of the Haryana cadre (1980 batch), Lavasa had joined the poll body as Election Commissioner on January 23, 2018. Retired as Finance Secretary, he had also served as environment and civil aviation secretary. He had mat to the headlines during 2019 Lok Sabha Poll when he dissented in as many as 11 Election Commission decisions involving complaints against Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for alleged MCC violation.