President accepts Ashok Lavasa's resignation as Election Commissioner

Lavasa's resignation comes at a time when the Election Commission is preparing to hold Bihar assembly polls amid the coronavirus pandemic

President Ram Nath Kovind has accepted the resignation of Ashok Lavasa as Election Commissioner, a notification by the Ministry of Law and Justice said on Wednesday.

Lavasa had on Tuesday sent his resignation as Election Commissioner to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"...the President is pleased to accept the resignation tendered by Shri Ashok Lavasa, Election Commissioner with effect from the 31st August, 2020," the notification said.

Lavasa was next in line to head the poll panel. He would soon be joining the Asian Development Bank as vice president, sources said.

He would be joining the Philippines-based ADB sometime in September, they added.

"The ADB has appointed