Andhra Pradesh's new State Election Commissioner V Kanagaraj, retired Madras High Court judge, took office on Saturday. On Monday, he held a meeting with officials and has been quoted as asking the state machinery to be prepared for local body polls anytime.

This doesn't mean that he is in favour of conducting MPTC, ZPTC, Panchayat and Municipal body polls urgently. He wants the pandemic-induced uncertainty to go away before polls can be held.

Justice Kanagaraj was a judge of the Madras HC judge for nine years. Soon after he took charge, he has gone into learning mode. Speaking to The Hindu, he said that he is reading up books/documents related to the elections in the State using the lockdown time.