Kolkata, Oct 2 – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially appointed Arun Prasad as the new Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) and Harishankar Panikkar as the Joint Chief Electoral Officer (JCEO) for West Bengal, as confirmed by an official on Thursday.

These appointments precede the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls scheduled to commence in West Bengal this October. The ECI had previously requested the West Bengal government to provide a panel of candidates for these crucial positions, from which Prasad and Panikkar were selected.

Arun Prasad is a 2011-batch IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre, while Harishankar Panikkar is a member of the 2013 batch.

Additionally, the Election Commission has requested a new list of three candidates to fill the vacant Deputy Chief Electoral Officer position, emphasizing that the nominees should possess significant experience in electoral work. In response to the Commission’s directive, the state government is currently preparing to submit the new panel of names.

An official stated, “These appointments were essential for ensuring smooth election processes, especially with the next year’s Assembly elections.”