PTI
New Delhi, Mar 4: Election Commissioner Navin Chawla will take over as the next Chief Election Commissioner on April 20, succeeding N Gopalaswami who will retire on that day.
Chawla, an IAS officer of the 1969 batch, will hold charge till July 29, 2010 when he will attain the age of 65 years.
"The President has approved the appointment of Navin Chawla as the Chief Election Commissioner with effect from April 20 on completion of the tenure of N Gopalaswami," a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said here today.
Chawla, who will be taking over in the midst of the five-phased Lok Sabha elections, will oversee four phases of the polls.
The elevation of Chawla, who was appointed as Election Commissioner on May 13,2005, comes after a controversy triggered by Gopalaswami's recommendation to the President for his removal from office for alleged "partisan" functioning.