Vivek Joshi to take over as EC today; new Chief Secy to be finalised soon
With Haryana Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi set to assume charge as Election Commissioner (EC) in Delhi tomorrow, following his selection by a committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focus has now shifted to his successor in Haryana. Anurag Rastogi, a 1990-batch IAS officer, is emerging as the frontrunner for the post.
Speaking to The Tribune, Joshi confirmed that he had applied for voluntary retirement and would be taking charge as EC tomorrow. “This announcement was unexpected, but coming back to my home cadre, even for a short time, was a good experience. The ‘Swachh Haryana Mission’, launched in December last year, was an initiative close to my heart. Government offices across the state were cleaned for the first time in 50 years and I had the opportunity to implement my learnings from the Centre,” he said.
Incidentally, Joshi’s brother, Vineet Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer, currently serves as Secretary, Higher Education.
Third Haryana officer to become EC
Joshi becomes the third Haryana cadre officer to be appointed to the Election Commission of India. The first was 1971-batch officer SY Quraishi, who later became Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), followed by 1980-batch officer Ashok Lavasa, who resigned soon after his appointment.
Having served as Registrar General of India (Home Ministry) and Secretary, DoPT (Personnel) under the Prime Minister, Joshi has been seen as being in the good books of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Sources indicate that he has been “hand-picked” for this crucial role, as the 2029 General Election will be conducted under his leadership.
With CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure ending in January 2029 and Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu retiring in 2028, Joshi is set to play a pivotal role in shaping the electoral process.
Rastogi likely to succeed Joshi as CS
Meanwhile, the search for Haryana’s new Chief Secretary (CS) is already underway. A clear picture is expected to emerge soon, with Anurag Rastogi – currently Financial Commissioner, Revenue and Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Finance – being the leading contender.
Rastogi briefly served as Chief Secretary for three days after TVSN Prasad’s retirement on October 31 last year, before Joshi took over on November 4. Despite seniority disputes among 1990-batch IAS officers, the government had set aside the controversy and assigned Rastogi the role of Financial Commissioner, Revenue – a key position held by senior-most officers after the CS.
Seniority dispute among 1990-batch officers
The seniority issue within the 1990-batch IAS officers has been a point of contention, with Ankur Gupta, Anurag Rastogi and Raja Sekhar Vundru challenging the existing gradation list. They argued that Sudhir Rajpal and Sumita Misra, listed as senior, should actually be ranked lower since they were transferred from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, respectively.
While Gupta has since retired, Rajpal and Misra currently serve as ACS, Health, and ACS, Home, respectively.
Impending reshuffle in administration
If Rastogi is appointed as Chief Secretary, a reshuffle in key departments will follow, as his current roles in Revenue and Finance will need to be reassigned. The government is expected to finalise Joshi’s successor in the coming days.
