Sushil Chandra appointed next Chief Election Commissioner, to take charge on April 13

Sushil Chandra was on Monday appointed as the next Chief Election Commissioner, the Law Ministry said. He will assume charge on April 13, a day after incumbent CEC Sunil Arora demits office.

A former CBDT Chairman, Chandra was appointed as an election commissioner on February 14, 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha election. He would demit office on May 14, 2022.

Chandra, an IIT graduate, was a 1980 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre).

Under him, the Election Commission would hold assembly polls in Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The term of the assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Punjab ends on various dates in March next year. The term of the Uttar Pradesh assembly ends on May 14 next year.

New assemblies have to be constituted before their five-year term ends. Chandra was the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes before he joined the poll panel.

(With inputs from PTI)