Om Prakash Rawat assumes charge as the new Election Commissioner

NEW DELHI: Om Prakash Rawat today assumed charge as the new Election Commissioner.

During his tenure at Election Commission, there would be elections to assemblies of Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry, Assam, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

Besides this Presidential as well as Vice-Presidential elections would also be held under his tenure.

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.

He will have a tenure of more than three years which will end in December, 2018.

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.

A former IAS officer of the 1977 batch, he served at various posts in Madhya Pradesh and at Centre including the post of Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Department of Public Enterprises.