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Navin Chawla replaced N Gopalaswami as the new Chief Election Commissioner of India on Tuesday (April 21). The 63-year-old holds the office of the Chief Election Commissioner at a time when the country is in the midst of Lok Sabha election. Earlier in the month of April this year, the President of India rejected N Gopalaswami's recommendation to remove Chawla.
Navin Chawla will hold the office of CEC till June 29, 2010. Prior to his elevation as the CEC, Chawla served as one of the election commissioners. His place will now be filled up by power secretary V S Sampath. Navin Chawla who was appointed as Election Commissioner on May 13, 2005, had differences with Gopalaswami over issues like schedule for the Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir polls and others.
Chawla has offered his service as secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He has also worked as Secretary to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Chawla has often been alleged of having a biased attitude towards the government and Congress party. The BJP has expressed its unhappiness over the appointment of Chawla as CEC. The party has said that it will remove him if it comes to power at the centre.
