Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami [Images], who has been in the eye of the storm after recommending the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla [Images], is currently on a one-week leave to visit various pilgrimages in Gujarat. During his trip, the CEC is scheduled to visit Somnath, Dwarka and Gandhi Nagar.

Gopalaswami, an Indian Administrative Service officer from the Gujarat cadre, speaks the native language fluently and considers the state his second home.

He is affectionately called Gopu by many of his batch mates, some of whom he will meet during his trip. He is also addressed as 'Gopu bhai' in Gujarat.

The CEC will return to New Delhi [Images] on Sunday evening, just in time to go over the details of the Lok Sabha poll schedule, along with the two election commissioners.

Gopalaswami will finalise the dates of the Parliamentary polls after consultation with the two ECs. The final dates of the Lok Sabha elections will be announced in the first week of March.