Bhubaneswar: Retired IAS officer Madhusudan Padhi has been appointed as the State Election Commissioner (SEC) of Odisha. The appointment was made by Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati under Clause (1) of Article 243-K of the Constitution of India, as informed by the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department.

Padhi, a 1991-batch IAS officer, succeeds retired IAS officer Aditya Prasad Padhi as the State Election Commissioner. His tenure comes ahead of the Panchayat and urban elections in 2027, making his role critical in ensuring free and fair elections in the state.

During his distinguished career in the Odisha government, Madhusudan Padhi held various key positions. He served as the Managing Director of OMFED, Principal Secretary of the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department, Transport Commissioner, and Principal Secretary in the Information Technology (E&IT) Department. Notably, he was also promoted to the rank of Chief Secretary before retiring from service in October 2022.