Former UP chief secretary Anup Chandra Pandey assumes charge as new Election Commissioner

Retired IAS officer and former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Anup Chandra Pandey took charge as the new Election Commissioner of India on Wednesday after being appointed for the post by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Pandey will now be in the three-member panel of the Election Commission which was vacant after former Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora's retirement on April 12.

The Election Commission comprises a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra and Election Commissioner (EC) Rajiv Kumar are the other two members on the panel.

The three-member commission will now oversee the next set of crucial assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand next year.

Who is Anup Chandra Pandey

Pandey, a 1984-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre officer, has been appointed to the post in the Election Commission with effect from the date he assumes the office.

Pandey was handpicked by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to head the state bureaucracy on June 28, 2018. He retired in August 2019. He had served as the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh under Adityanath and also as the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner of the state.

Born on February 15, 1959, Pandey has held several key positions. He has a BTech degree in mechanical engineering, an MBA degree and a doctorate in ancient history.

The 62-year-old will demit office in February 2024 on attaining the age of 65 years, according to the age criteria guiding the Election Commissioners.

The next Lok Sabha polls could be announced sometime in March 2024, which could be held under Pandey's watch.