Former UP-cadre bureaucrat Anup Chandra Pandey appointed as EC

Former Uttar Pradesh-cadre Indian Administrative Service officer Anup Chandra Pandey was appointed as an election commissioner on Tuesday.

The legislative department in the law ministry said the president is pleased to appoint Pandey, a retired IAS officer of the 1984 batch, as an election commissioner with effect from the date he assumes office.

There was a vacancy in the poll panel. Sunil Arora demitted office as the chief election commissioner (CEC) on April 12.

While Sushil Chandra is the CEC, Rajiv Kumar is the other election commissioner.

Pandey, 62, will demit office in February 2024 on attaining the age of 65 years, according to the age criteria guiding the election commissioners.

The next Lok Sabha polls could be announced sometime in March 2024.

The next parliamentary polls could be held under the watch of Kumar.

Born on February 15, 1959, Pandey has held several key positions, including that of the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh.

The poll panel will have its full strength of three members when Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand go to polls early next year.