Haryana Appoints First Non-IAS State Election Commissioner

No legal issue prevails in appointment of Devendra Kalyan as per service conditions and rules of State Election Commissioner.

- DR RAVINDER MALIK

Through a gazette notification issued on Thursday, June 26, the Governor of Haryana has appointed retired IRS (Indian Revenue Service) officer Devendra Singh Kalyan, who is the brother of the current Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly, Harvinder Kalyan, and retired from the government service of the IRS a few months ago, as the new State Election Commissioner of Haryana.

For the first time in the history of Haryana, a retired non-IAS officer has been appointed to the important post of State Election Commissioner.

About four and a quarter years ago, in April 2021, the then Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government of Haryana appointed a retired IAS officer of the 1985 batch of the state cadre.

Dhanpat Singh was appointed as the State Election Commissioner of Haryana, whose term was completed on 9 April 2025.

Dhanpat retired as Additional Chief Secretary (SCS) and Finance Commissioner (FCR) from the Revenue and Disaster Management and Consolidation Department of the state in April 2020.