Rajiv Kumar takes charge as 25th Chief Election Commissioner
New Delhi, May 15
Senior IAS officer and former Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar today took charge as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), as he said he would “not shy away from taking tough decisions” both with regard to reforms and conducting polls.
Incidentally, Kumar’s first major task will be to hold and oversee the President and the Vice-President elections, which are due to be conducted in July-August this year.
After taking charge of the CEC office, Kumar said the commission would follow the time-tested methods of consultations and consensus building in bringing about any reform and would not shy away from tough decisions, according to a poll panel’s official statement.
The next big task for Kumar will be to hold the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, though preceding that there would be several Assembly elections. Kumar’s tenure is till February 2025.
The new CEC was part of the poll panel as an Election Commissioner since September 1, 2020, and was appointed to the post on Thursday. He succeeds Sushil Chandra, who demitted office on Saturday evening.
According to the EC statement, Kumar said he was honoured to have been given the responsibility to lead one of the finest institutions gifted by the Indian Constitution.
