New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS): CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra was appointed as the new Election Commissioner on Thursday, just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, making the poll panel a three-member body once again.

The other two members of the Commission are Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner (EC) Ashok Lavasa.

Chandra, 61, an IRS-IT officer of the 1980 batch, will fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of O.P. Rawat, who demitted office as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) late last year.

Chandra is the second Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer to be appointed to the Commission after T.S. Krishnamurthy, who went on to become the CEC in 2004.

"In pursuance of clause (2) of Article 324 of the Constitution, the President is pleased to appoint Sushil Chandra, former IRS (IT)-1980 officer as the Election Commissioner with effect from the date he assumes the office," said a government order issued on Thursday.

Chandra's tenure as chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) was to expire in May this year. He has already got two extensions since 2016.