Chennai: Chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni, who was hounded by the ruling AIADMK and Opposition DMK in the recent R K Nagar polls for failing to curb the cash for votes, has opted to vacate the post and orders are expected shortly, highly placed sources with Election Commission of India (ECI) told DC.
“Rajesh Lakhoni earned the wrath of DMK during the 2016 Assembly polls and during the recently concluded R K Nagar bypoll the ruling AIADMK was also upset with the CEO. Even before the RK Nagar bypoll, Lakhoni wanted a transfer but the EC wanted him to complete the RK Nagar bypoll”, said an informed senior official.
According to sources, Lakhoni had been camping in Delhi for the last three days and explaining how tough it is to handle to a politically unstable Tamil Nadu. “He put his foot down clearly this time and expressed unwillingness to continue as the TN CEO. “I have completed more than three years as the CEO of TN and wanted to move on”, was the repeated words of CEO, sources said.
Meanwhile, soft-spoken Satyabrata Sahoo, who is the managing director of Chennai metro water, is hinted to be the successor of Lakhoni. Sahoo belongs to the 1997 IAS cadre and has always been a less known figure among the public.
