Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar would take charge as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on May 15 after the incumbent Sushil Chandra retires on Saturday, the Union Law and Justice Ministry announced on Thursday.
Mr. Kumar has been a member of the three-person Election Commission of India since September 1, 2020. Prior to that, he served as the chairman of the Public Enterprises Selection Board. A 1984-batch IAS officer of the Bihar/Jharkhand cadre, Mr. Kumar retired from the civil service in February 2020 from the post of Union Finance Secretary.
In its statement, the Ministry said the President had appointed Mr. Kumar, the senior-most Election Commissioner, to take over from Mr. Chandra who would demit office on Saturday. With Mr. Kumar being elevated as CEC, the Election Commission of India would be left with one vacancy to complete the three-member panel.
