NEW DELHI: The appointment of Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer Prakash Rajpurohit as Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) in the Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to trigger a fresh issue on the allocation of responsibilities within the poll panel, particularly with regard to electoral rolls and information technology (IT) divisions.
The 2010-batch IAS officer fills the vacancy created by Sanjay Kumar, who was prematurely repatriated to his parent AGMUT cadre after serving as DEC from August 2024 until August 2026.
The reshuffle assumes significance amid reported concerns raised by Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over the routing of files from the Commission’s IT department, which oversees the digital infrastructure used for electoral-roll management.
Rajpurohit’s appointment now raises the question of whether the existing file-routing arrangements will be revisited and how the electoral rolls and IT portfolios will be handled ahead of crucial Assembly elections including in Uttar Pradesh scheduled early next year.
Kumar was in charge of the electoral rolls and IT divisions and had signed the ECI’s June 24, 2025, order initiating the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country.
The two Election Commissioners had reportedly written to the Cabinet Secretary raising concerns that files from IT department head Dr Seema Khanna were not being routed through Kumar, a seasoned officer overseeing the relevant divisions.
Khanna joined the ECI on deputation from the National Informatics Centre in 2025 and heads its IT department, overseeing the Commission’s digital infrastructure, including electoral-roll management systems ERONET.
According to sources in the poll panel, her files were routed through Kumar until she was promoted to Level 15, equivalent to the rank of Additional Secretary. Kumar, meanwhile, held Level 14, corresponding to the rank of Joint Secretary.
Following Khanna’s promotion, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg issued an internal order directing that her files be sent directly to the Election Commissioners. But, the same was not implemented. After Kumar’s repatriation, Khanna’s files began being routed through Garg, who was designated as Kumar’s link officer and assumed responsibility for his departments in his absence.
Rajpurohit’s appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet late on Saturday, as the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued an order in this regard. The Rajasthan-cadre officer has been appointed for a tenure ending April 8, 2030.
His joining comes at a time when the Commission’s internal administrative arrangements and the handling of key portfolios have drawn attention. The distribution of responsibilities among the Deputy Election Commissioners will determine whether the electoral rolls and IT divisions remain under the existing arrangements or are reassigned.
The new allocation will also be closely watched for its implications for the reported concerns raised by the two Election Commissioners, particularly as the ECI prepares for the next round of Assembly elections.