Gyanesh Kumar to Lead Election Commission as New CEC
The government said last night that Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will replace Rajiv Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). The senior of the two remaining Election Commissioners after CEC Rajiv Kumar, Kumar will become responsible for election-watch in five states, including opposition-governed West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and NDA-ruled Bihar and Assam. Although elections in Bengal are planned for 2026 and Assam, the Bihar election will be held later this year.
Kumar, a 1988-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, is likely to remain Chief Election Commissioner till January 26, 2029. He would be dealing with 20 state assembly polls, the 2027 Presidential and Vice-Presidential polls, and 2029 Lok Sabha polls. His period would be crucial in handling these important elections.
The statement came after the Election Committee meeting that involved Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leader had objections during the meeting, protesting over the appointment. Congress has questioned the government's strategy, citing that the ruling party is looking to get control of the Election Commission, which could become a dent in its credibility. The issue has been further thrown into disarray by continued judicial challenges to the law on appointment of the CEC, whose case is before the Supreme Court this Saturday to be heard.
Gyanesh Kumar's professional life as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer stands out, specifically for his assignment in the Union Home Ministry, where he contributed to the writing of the bill that revoked Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. Kumar is understood to have been close to Home Minister Amit Shah.
Though the opposition party raised concerns, government sources clarified that the process of selection could not be postponed as it would create a gap in the Election Commission. Legal opinion was taken prior to going ahead with the appointment since the Supreme Court had not suspended the process.
Following the recently passed Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act of 2023, an empanelment committee led by the law minister needs to shortlist five names. The final choice is then done by a panel that includes the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and a Cabinet minister. But the legislation has been controversial in removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel and has been challenged in court. Critics say the change undermines the balance of power within the panel and vitiates its impartiality.
