Chief Election Commissioner H S Brahma relinquishes CEC post, Nasim Zaidi to take over tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner H S Brahma today relinquished the charge of the top post of the nation's poll panel.

A 1975-batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, Brahma (65), who hails from Assam, was elevated as the 19th Chief Election Commissioner in January this year and had a stint of a little over three months.

He was the Union Power Secretary before his induction into the Election Commission and had assumed charge as one of the three Election Commissioners on August 25, 2010.

After J M Lyngdoh, Brahma was the second officer from the northeast to be appointed to this post.

Assembly polls in Delhi this year were held under Brahma's tenure as CEC.

Nasim Zaidi will tomorrow assume the charge of the CEC and will be sole member of the three-member poll body which has two vacant posts of Election Commissioners.

The Law Ministry has already indicated to the Prime Minister's Office about the two vacancies and a decision is expected soon, sources in the government said.

An Election Commissioner can remain in office for six years or till he attains the age of 65 years.