R.S. Gopalan says decision is personal; timing draws political attention after Odisha completes its Special Intensive Revision
Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer R.S. Gopalan, a 2001-batch IAS officer, has applied for voluntary retirement from government service, just days after the state completed its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Gopalan submitted his VRS request on September 30. He has said that the decision was taken for personal reasons and is not connected with the electoral-roll revision exercise. Reports also state that he had been considering the move for some time.
The timing has nevertheless brought the officer’s departure into the spotlight because Gopalan was the official responsible for overseeing the SIR exercise in Odisha.
A major voter-list exercise
Odisha published its revised electoral roll on September 21 after completing the SIR process. Reports put the final electorate at around 3.16 crore, while political parties have raised questions over the deletion of a large number of entries during the revision.
The Election Commission’s revision exercise has been politically contentious in several states, and Odisha has also seen opposition parties raise concerns over voter deletions.
A separate Indian Express report published on October 1 also highlighted complaints from some Booth Level Officers in Dhamnagar concerning the alleged misuse of their credentials in Form 7 applications seeking deletion of voters. One officer was suspended following the complaint. These allegations remain part of the broader scrutiny surrounding the Odisha roll revision.
Gopalan rejects link with SIR
Gopalan has specifically denied that his VRS application is connected to the SIR controversy. According to reports, he said he wanted to concentrate on personal matters and family considerations.
He took charge as Odisha’s CEO in July 2024 and has also held additional administrative responsibilities. His normal service tenure was expected to continue until June 2028, meaning the VRS request comes roughly 18 months before his scheduled retirement.
Political debate follows
The timing has triggered political reactions in Odisha. Opposition leaders have questioned whether the development deserves closer scrutiny, while Gopalan’s own explanation remains that the decision is personal and unrelated to SIR.
The immediate administrative question is now whether the VRS request will be accepted and who could take charge of the state’s electoral machinery if it is approved.
For Odisha, the episode comes at a sensitive moment: the revised voter list has just been published, questions over deletions remain in the public debate, and the state’s top election official has sought early retirement.