Gyanesh Kumar appointed as India’s 26th Chief Election Commissioner

Guwahati, Feb 18: The Centre has appointed Gyanesh Kumar as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, making him the first to assume the role under the revised laws governing Election Commission appointments.

A retired IAS officer from the 1988 Kerala cadre, Kumar will serve as CEC until January 26, 2029.

With his appointment, he takes charge of crucial electoral processes, including the Assam assembly elections slated for next year. His tenure will also oversee elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and West Bengal.

Born in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Kumar is a Civil Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and has also studied Environmental Economics at HIID, Harvard University.

He has held key roles in the Ministries of Parliamentary and Home Affairs, where he helped manage Jammu and Kashmir after Article 370 was revoked and played a role in setting up the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust.

Kumar’s appointment follows the implementation of new rules that dictate the selection process for the CEC and Election Commissioners.

Under the revised framework, a search committee shortlists five candidates from among secretary-level officers, with the final decision made by a panel led by the Prime Minister.

Notably, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) has been removed from the selection process, a move that has drawn criticism from the opposition.

The Congress party has strongly opposed Kumar’s appointment, calling it a “hastily taken decision” that threatens the neutrality of the Election Commission.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal took to social media to voice concerns, saying that the government should have waited for the Supreme Court's scheduled hearing on the matter on February 19, before proceeding.

"Their decision to hastily hold the meeting today and appoint... shows they are keen to circumvent... Supreme Court's scrutiny," he alleged.

With Agency Inputs