OP Rawat new Election Commissioner

Om Prakash Rawat, a former Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer who till recently was Secretary at the Centre, was on Thursday appointed as the new Election Commissioner, days before dates of the Bihar assembly elections are announced.

His appointment will come into effect from the day he assumes office, a Law Ministry statement said 

here. With Rawat’s appointment, the sole vacancy in the three-member poll body has been filled. His appointment comes days before the poll watchdog takes a call on announcing the schedule for Bihar assembly polls. Born on December 2, 1953, Rawat -- a 1977 batch officer -- will have a tenure of more than three years which will end in <g data-gr-id="21">December,</g> 2018. He had retired from government service in December last year. An EC or a CEC has a tenure of six years in office or till he or she attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. “It is a constitutional post and I will carry out my duties with impartiality,” Rawat told a news <g data-gr-id="16">aegncy</g>. While Naseem Zaidi is the Chief Election Commissioner, Achal Kumar <g data-gr-id="17">Joti</g> is the other <g data-gr-id="18">EC .</g>