Nasim Zaidi set to be CEC

New Delhi, April 8

Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi is set to become the next Chief Election Commissioner later this month. The Law Ministry has initiated the file to appoint the next CEC as present incumbent H S Brahma retires on April 19.

Highly-placed sources in the government today said that the Law Ministry has cited convention of appointing the senior-most EC as the CEC.

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leaving on a foreign tour tomorrow, there is sense of urgency to clear the paperwork today as the file will travel to Rashtrapati Bhawan for the President to appoint the CEC.

After Zaidi's appointment, the government will set in motion the process to appoint two Election Commissioners to fill vacancies in the three-member body. "But as of now, we are appointing a new CEC. A decision on ECs will come later," a senior government functionary said.

After V S Sampath demitted office in January, Brahma was elevated as CEC. But the post which fell vacant after Brahma's elevation has not been filled up so far.

After Brahma retires on April 19, Zaidi will be the only member of the three-member poll watchdog.

Zaidi will have a tenure up to July, 2017 when he attains the age of 65.

An EC or a CEC has a tenure of six years in office or 65 years of age, whichever is earlier.

A 1976-batch IAS officer, Zaidi has worked in the Civil Aviation Ministry for a long time. — PTI