Gyanesh Kumar assumes charge as CEC; Vivek Joshi as EC

A 1988-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, Kumar took charge as Election Commissioner on March 15, 2024. During his tenure, he oversaw elections for the 18th Lok Sabha, as well as the state assemblies of Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, the Union Territory of Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.

His extensive career includes roles at both the central and state levels. At the Centre, he served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Secretary in the Ministries of Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperation. In Kerala, he held key positions in the Finance Resources Department, Public Works Department and Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs. He also served as the Managing Director of Kerala State Development Corporation for SC and ST and was the District Collector of Ernakulam and the Municipal Commissioner of Cochin Corporation.

An alumnus of IIT Kanpur with a degree in Civil Engineering, Kumar furthered his education in Business Finance at ICFAI, India and Environmental Economics at Harvard University, USA. He succeeds Rajiv Kumar, who demitted office on February 18.

Meanwhile, former Haryana Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi also assumed office as an Election Commissioner on Wednesday, replacing Gyanesh Kumar. He joins Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, the other Election Commissioner.

The appointment of Gyanesh Kumar, however, was met with opposition from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who submitted a dissent note during the selection process. Gandhi, a member of the Prime Minister-led three-member selection panel—along with Home Minister Amit Shah—criticised the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the committee.

“The most fundamental aspect of an independent Election Commission free from executive interference is the process of choosing the Election Commissioner and Chief Election Commissioner,” Gandhi stated on X. “By violating the Supreme Court order and removing the Chief Justice of India from the committee, the Modi government has exacerbated concerns over the integrity of our electoral process.”

Despite these objections, the government proceeded with Kumar’s appointment, finalising him as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner. The controversy unfolds as the Supreme Court is set to hear a plea on February 19 challenging the selection process and the composition of the appointment committee.