The Election Commission has told the Information and Broadcasting ministry to put on hold the selection of a new chairperson of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati till the poll process was over. Ministry had written to the EC seeking its views on the issue of finding a new chairperson after the tenure of previous incumbent Mrinal Pande got over last month, sources said.

"The ministry had sought the EC's opinion about the process of appointing the new chairperson. The EC has replied saying that the appointment could wait till the process of elections was over," a senior official told PTI.

The chairperson of Prasar Bharati is chosen by a committee which is headed by the Vice President. Sources said that the ministry had also asked the EC as to whether it should initiate the process to appoint senior functionaries in the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal regarding which also it had received the same reply from the poll panel.