Above: Achal Kumar Joti was recently appointed chief election commissioner by the NDA government. He will take charge from Nasim Zaidi who retires on July 6

As the current Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi retires on July 6, Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti will take over as the next CEC in a smooth transition.

Joti was recently appointed the 21st CEC by the NDA government. Zaidi had been in his post since April 19, 2015.

Joti (64) carries a distinct Gujarat connection, helpful to the NDA. He was chief secretary of the state and had also been a top officer in several institutes in Gujarat, including as chairman of the Kandla Port Trust (1999 and 2004) and as managing director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL).

Soon after the NDA came to power, Joti was appointed Election Commissioner (on May 7, 2015), despite having retired from active service in 2013. He is a 1975-batch IAS Officer of the Gujarat cadre.

Interestingly, Joti being 64 now, will have a short, one-year tenure at the top, because the retirement time for CECs is 65, even if the tenure is of six years.

—India Legal Bureau