Gyanesh Kumar assumes charge as CEC; Vivek Joshi as EC

Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday took over as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner, while Vivek Joshi assumed charge as an Election Commissioner.

An Election Commissioner since March 2024, Kumar was elevated as the CEC on Monday.

Gyanesh Kumar replaced Rajiv Kumar, who demitted office on Tuesday, as head of the poll panel.

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is the other election commissioner.

Joshi, a former Haryana cadre IAS officer, was appointed as an Election Commissioner on Monday.

In his message to voters after assuming charge, Kumar said, “First step for nation building is voting. Therefore, every citizen of India who has completed 18 years of age should become an elector and should always vote.”

Kumar asserted that the “Election Commission was, is and will always be with the voters”.

Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, has varied experience working in both central and state governments.

At the Centre, he held various portfolios including Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs & Ministry of Cooperation.

Kumar, a Civil Engineer from IIT-Kanpur, has also studied Business Finance from ICFAI and Environmental Economics from Harvard University, US.