Tribune News ServiceNew Delhi, January 21
In a departure from the convention, the government today appointed the Union Home Secretary, Mr N. Gopalaswami, as the Election Commissioner.
The Gujarat cadre officer will assume the charge as election commissioner with effect from February 8 following the vacancy caused by the proposed assumption of charge by Mr T.S. Krishna Murthy as Chief Election Commissioner.
A former Chief Election Commissioner, Mr M.S. Gill, had stated that the government had agreed to appoint three members of the commission representing North, South and Eastern part of the country.
Mr Gill had stated that since the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr J.M. Lyngdoh, who represented the East, was retiring, a person from that part of the country should be appointed.
Incidentally, the government had maintained other part of the convention of appointing the senior most EC as the CEC, by elevating Mr Krishna Murthy to that post.
The immediate task before the three-member commission would be to conduct the general election at the earliest amidst pressure from political parties following the statement by the Prime Minister that a new government would be in place in April.
The chief electoral officers of all states and union territories are meeting in the Capital on February 4 to discuss the progress in revision in electoral rolls, electronic voting machines and voter I-cards.
