Gyanesh Kumar assumes charge as India’s 26th Chief Election Commissioner
Gyanesh Kumar assumes charge as India’s 26th Chief Election Commissioner
Digital Desk: Former bureaucrat Gyanesh Kumar took over charge as India's 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday, succeeding Rajiv Kumar, who had served in the position for more than two years.
In his first remarks since taking office, Gyanesh Kumar emphasized the value of voting as the cornerstone of nation-building and exhorted all eligible citizens to take part in the political process.
Kumar said the Election Commission "remains committed to upholding the rights of voters following the Constitution, electoral laws, and related regulations."
His appointment coincides with petitions challenging the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which regulates the election commissioners' appointment procedure, scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court.
Moreover, Gyanesh Kumar's term would conclude just before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections are announced. In addition to him, the government appointed Vivek Joshi, an IAS officer from the Haryana cadre who was born in 1989, as an Election Commissioner. Joshi is expected to serve until 2031.
