Sushil Chandra assumes charge as Chief Election Commissioner

Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra took over the post of Chief Election Commissioner on Tuesday, after outgoing CEC Sunil Arora demitted office on Monday.

Mr. Chandra has been an Election Commissioner since February 15, 2019 and a member of the Delimitation Commission for delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir since February 18, 2020, the Election Commission said in a statement.

As an Indian Revenue Service officer, Mr. Chandra held several posts in the Income Tax department for nearly 39 years, according to the EC. He had been the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes from November 1, 2016 to February 14, 2019.

Mr. Chandra, a retired IAS officer, completed his tenure of nearly 29 months as CEC, having led the EC during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

He is also an ex-officio member of the Delimitation Commission since February 18, 2020 looking after the process in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Having held several posts in the Income Tax Department for nearly 39 years, Mr. Chandra was appointed the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman on November 1, 2016.

He spent considerable time as Director of Investigation and Director General of Investigation, Mumbai and Gujarat, respectively followed by his stint as Member (Investigation), CBDT and thereafter assuming the post of Chairman of this apex body.

“Transparency and purity of political finance are of vital importance for free and fair electoral process and the creation of a level playing field. Continuing the crusade that he started as CBDT Chairman against the menace of black money, Chandra was proactive as the erstwhile Election Commissioner in curbing the use of money power that vitiates the electoral process,” the Commission said on Tuesday.

He has constantly emphasised the concept of “inducement-free” elections and it has become an integral dimension of monitoring the electoral process in all ongoing and forthcoming elections, the EC said.

(With inputs from PTI)