New Delhi, Apr 20 : Election Commissioner Navin Chawla will take over as the next Chief Election Commissioner today.

Chawla, who will succeed incumbent N Gopalaswami, will hold charge till July 29, 2010.

Chawla, who is taking charge in the midst of the five-phased Lok Sabha elections, will oversee four phases of the polls.

Chawla, an IAS officer of the 1969 batch, is a controversial Election Commissioner. He had recently been in the news as the Chief Election Commissioner of India had unilaterally recommended his removal from the Election Commission on grounds of partisanship.

The recommendation had since been rejected by the President on March 1, 2009.

The constitutional validity of rejection and recommendation were debated. (ANI)