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Informist, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – The Union government has appointed Gyanesh Kumar as the chief election commissioner of India with effect from Wednesday, according to a notification released by the Ministry of Law and Justice late Monday. Kumar, a 1988 batch Kerala Cadre IAS officer, had been serving as the country's election commissioner since March 2024.

 

"…the President is pleased to appoint Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioner as Chief Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India, with effect from February 19, 2025," the notification reads. 

 

Gyanesh Kumar will succeed Rajiv Kumar, who retires on Tuesday upon attaining the age of 65 years. Gyanesh Kumar has also served as secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Cooperation.

 

Kumar's name was recommended to President Droupadi Murmu and finalised by the selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and including Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. The committee met earlier in the day to select a new chief election commissioner. During the meeting, Gandhi asked the government to defer the appointment until the Supreme Court decides on the petitions challenging the new appointment process. The apex court is set to Wednesday hear a petition challenging the removal of the Chief Justice of India as a member of the selection committee under the new law.

 

The new chief election commissioner is being appointed under a new law - Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The new law was enacted by Parliament in December 2023 after the Supreme Court's intervention in the appointment process of election commissioners. In its judgement on March 2, 2023, the apex court ruled that a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India would select the chief election commissioner and election commissioners, until Parliament enacted a law. The Association for Democratic Reforms has challenged the removal of the Chief Justice of India as a member of the selection committee under the new law.

 

Meanwhile, the government also appointed Vivek Joshi, a 1989 batch IAS officer, as the election commissioner. 

 

Rajiv Kumar, who assumed the role of chief election commissioner in May 2022, oversaw several significant elections, including the Lok Sabha Election, 2024, and various state Assembly polls. During his tenure, he made significant efforts to enhance electoral transparency and encourage voter participation. His tenure was also marred by controversies with the Opposition parties criticising the election commission for allegedly showing bias towards the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.  End

 

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

 

 

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