Jaipur: Governor Haribhau Bagde Tuesday appointed retired IAS officer Rajeshwar Singh as the new Chief State Election Commissioner (SEC) through an official order. Singh, who retired in July 2024 after a 35-year career in the Indian Administrative Service, held several key administrative posts and will now oversee the State Election Commission, which is responsible for ensuring free and fair panchayat and municipal elections across Rajasthan. He has been appointed for a tenure of five years or until he attains the age of 65, whichever is earlier.The appointment coincides with the completion of outgoing election commissioner Madhukar Gupta’s tenure Tuesday. “As I turn 65 Wednesday, my tenure ends today. I have demitted office and received a farewell from my colleagues,” Gupta said.The transition comes amid a recent confrontation between Gupta and urban development and housing (UDH) minister Jhabar Singh Kharra over the municipal poll schedule. On Aug 20, Gupta said the SEC would conduct polls within two months, a timeline Kharra publicly rejected the next day, insisting elections would be held as per the scheduled December or January time frame. Gupta, in his defence, stated that he is adhering to the rules. “The face-off between Kharra and Gupta sparked a major controversy. Even Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and senior BJP leaders were unhappy with Gupta’s remarks, which they felt did not align with the govt’s position and appeared as a form of rebellion. Since the govt cannot remove the SEC as it is a constitutional post, his tenure completion has removed him,” a senior BJP source said, on condition of anonymity.
Rajeshwar appointed as new state election commissioner amid row | Jaipur News
