Election Commission says still to take final call on appointment of next army chief

The Election Commission (EC) has said that it is yet to take a final call on the issue of the appointment of the next Chief of Army Staff.

In reply to a question, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday night, that the commission is still deliberating on the matter of allowing the incumbent UPA regime to go ahead with its decision to appoint the next army chief.

The BJP has raised strong objections to the government going ahead with the process of appointing the next army chief, on grounds that its tenure is coming to end on May 16, and that the new government should have the right to decide who the next head of the army will be.

The government has said that it is waiting for the EC to give its nod before announcing the appointment.