The announcement of the appointment of Lahiri and Das to the key posts comes in the midst of the elections in West Bengal, where the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP are fighting a bitter battle. Renowned economist Ashok Lahiri and scientist Gobardhan Das, two illustrious personalities from West Bengal, were on Friday named as the Niti Aayog vice-chairman and member, respectively, government sources said. Lahiri, currently a BJP MLA in West Bengal, is a former chief economic advisor to the government of India and a member of the 15th Finance Commission. He is not contesting the ongoing Assembly elections in the state. Das is the director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal . Prior to assuming this position, he was working as a professor and chair of the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi .…