Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Appointed Chief Election Commissioner: Law Ministry

Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioner of India, has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), the Law Ministry announced on Monday. The selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met in Delhi on Monday evening to decide the successor of outoging Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. Incumbent CEC Rajiv Kumar demits office on Tuesday on attaining the age of 65. Gyanesh Kumar will assume charge as CEC on February 19.

The Law ministry also appointed Dr. Vivek Joshi, IAS of the 1989 batch, as Election Commissioner, with effect from the date he assumes charge of the office. 

While PM Modi and Union Home Minister Shah agreed upon Gyanesh Kumar's name and recommended his name to the President, Rahul Gandhi opposed it and urged the government to defer the decision pending a Supreme Court hearing challenging the selection process. Gyanesh Kumar has become the first CEC to be appointed under new law on appointment of election commissioners.

As a matter of precedent, the senior-most Election Commissioner (EC) used to get elevated as the CEC following the retirement of the incumbent. However, a new law on the appointment of the CEC and ECs came into force in 2023 under which a search committee shortlists five names from among secretary-level officers for consideration and finalisation by the prime minister-led panel. This law has been challenged in the SC and the next hearing is scheduled on February 19. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said that by removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee, the government has made it clear that it wants control and not preserve the credibility of the Election Commission.

After Rajiv Kumar, Gyanesh Kumar was the senior-most election commissioner. His tenure as Election Commissioner was until January 26, 2029 and now will continue as the Chief Election Commissioner. Now, Bihar assembly elections later this year and West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu assembly polls next year will be held under Gyanesh Kumar's leadership.