Sunil Arora takes charge as 23rd Chief Election Commissioner of India.

 

New Delhi, December 3: Sunil Arora, aged 62 newly took charge as the 23rd election commissioner on 2nd December this year. After resuming the charge, the new election commissioner earned co-operation from all the stakeholders including the political parties, media, civil society and people at large in making the underway elections free, fair, peaceful, accessible and ethical.

 

Arora succeeds O. P. Rawat who renounced the position last week and will be holding the office till the month of October 2021. “Election Commission of India marks as the ideal democracy for all the other developing democratic nations. We all together will work to satisfy the hypothesis set by the Indian constitution towards the Election Commission. Also we will look into fulfilling the principles and morals of the constitution.”, said Sunil Arora while taking the charge.

 

At the top post in EC, Arora will oversee polling in states like Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Delhi, Bihar as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Arora’s appointment comes at a time when there is an increased political debate over the efficiency of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections.

 

 

Born in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur on 13 April, 1956, Arora is a former Indian Administrative (IAS) officer from Rajasthan cadre. He has served at key positions in several organisations during his 36 years of service. One of his key profile has been as the Chairman and Managing Director of the then Indian Airlines for nearly three years beginning with 2002 and also as member of the board of directors of Air India and Airport Authority of India.

 

Among his more recent roles prior to joining EC, Arora super annuated as the secretary in ministry of information and broadcasting in April 2016 prior to which he was in the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship. He has served on key positions in his cadre state as well including additional chief secretary, home, Rajasthan government as well as chairman of Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO).

 

The outgoing CEC Rawat however had said on Saturday that demonetisation had no impact on black money, acting in contradiction with the claims of PM Modi and BJP who claimed that their move proved a milestone. During his over the three-decade-long career, he has served at various levels, both at state and Centre. Besides serving in Defence and Heavy Industries ministries, Rawat had also been Principal Secretary to then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babu Lal Gaur from 2004 and 2006.