CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India has appointed MSME Secretary Archana Patnaik as the Chief Electoral Officer for Tamil Nadu.

The senior IAS officer, who is a native of Odisha, will be replacing Satyabrata Sahoo, also from Odisha.

Previously, Archana Patnaik, a 2002 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, also served as Collector of Coimbatore, the first woman appointed to the post in the district since 1945.