BENGALURU: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday appointed IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar as the chief electoral officer (CEO) for Karnataka.The appointment comes six months ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections, which is likely to be held in the first week of May 2018.Kumar, a 1986-batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre and additional chief secretary (department of skill development, entrepreneurship and livelihood), will replace fellow IAS officer, Anil Kumar Jha, who has been serving as the CEO since January 1, 2013.Sources in the bureaucracy said Jha had requested for transfer seven months ago. The state government had shortlisted the names for three IAS officers, including Kumar, and had sent it to ECI. Congress leader said: "It is known in the bureaucratic circles that Kumar had drawn the ire of chief minister Siddaramaiah when he was serving as principal secretary (department of personnel and administrative reforms) three years ago with regard to constitution of civil services board. The CM was miffed with Kumar for reportedly bypassing the cabinet and communicating to the Karnataka High Court the state's willingness to set up civil services boards, which were envisaged to reduce political interference in the working of the bureaucracy." But sources in the bureaucracy pointed out the Kumar figured among the short-listed names and there is no reason to read any further meanings in the ECI decision.

Source: Times of India November 16, 2017 13:18 UTC