HS Brahma appointed new CEC

Former bureaucrat Harishankar Brahma will be taking over as the chief election commissioner after present CEC Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath retires on Thursday.

Former bureaucrat Harishankar Brahma will be taking over as the chief election commissioner after present CEC Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath retires on Thursday. A 1975 IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, Brahma, who hails from Assam, is a former Union power secretary.

Brahma assumed charge as one of the three election commissioners of India on August 25, 2010. After J M Lyndogh, Brahma will become the second officer from the northeast to be appointed to this post.

Brahma held various positions in the central government before joining the Election Commission and will be the Chief Election Commissioner till April 18, when he turns 65. He will oversee polls in Delhi.