Shimla, Oct 3 (IANS) India’s Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla is all set for a two-day sojourn in Himachal Pradesh, beginning Saturday. His trip will include a visit to his alma mater Lawrence School at Sanawar in Kasauli hills.

“Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla is among a host of alumni that will participate in the 162nd foundation day celebrations of the school Saturday,” headmaster Parveen Vashishta told IANS.

He said this year batches of 1959 and 1984 have been specially invited.

“Gala events have been planned for two days (Saturday and Sunday) for the former students,” he said.

The residential public school was founded in 1847 by Sir Henry and Lady Honoria Lawrence for orphan wards of British soldiers.

The school alumni includes Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Maneka Gandhi, actors Sanjay Dutt and Rahul Roy and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Himachal Chief Electoral Officer Anil Khachi said the chief election commissioner’s visit is personal. “There is no meeting fixed by him with the state electoral officers,” he said.

By-elections to two assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh are due.

The Rohru and Jawali constituencies were vacated by former Congress chief minister Virbhadra Singh and BJP’s Rajan Sushant, respectively, upon their entry into the Lok Sabha in the general elections this May.

-- IANS