The Centre has appointed senior IAS officer Prakash Rajpurohit as Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) in the Election Commission of India (ECI), as part of a broader round of appointments at the Joint Secretary level. The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on October 10, 2026.
Prakash Rajpurohit: Cadre, Education and Previous Assignments:
Rajpurohit is a 2010-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Rajasthan cadre. Before his new assignment, he was serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence.
During his administrative career, he has also served as Director in the Department of Economic Affairs and as Collector of Ajmer. He holds a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.
According to the appointment details, Rajpurohit will serve as Deputy Election Commissioner until April 8, 2030.
He succeeds Sanjay Kumar, who was prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre in August 2026. Kumar had been handling the electoral roll and information technology division of the Election Commission.
Appointment Comes Amid Debate Over Electoral Processes:
The appointment comes amid protests by opposition parties and activists associated with Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), who have raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and alleged irregularities in voter lists. Protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
More than 150 protesters, including several political leaders, were reportedly detained by Delhi Police on October 10.
The Election Commission’s response to the protest was not included in the available information. Rajpurohit’s appointment fills a key administrative position at the poll body, particularly in the context of the electoral roll and IT-related responsibilities previously handled by his predecessor.
