Gyanesh Kumar was appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner on Monday, in the first such appointment under the collegium method introduced after the new bill on the selection process.
He has succeeded Rajiv Kumar, who held the position since May 2022.
Kumar, a 1988-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, has been serving as an Election Commissioner since March last year.
This is the first appointment made under the new law, which has replaced the Chief Justice with the Home Minister on the selection panel.
Kumar’s name was approved after a meeting of the panel comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
However, Congress has opposed the changes in the appointment process.
The grand old party urged the Centre to delay the appointment until the Supreme Court hears a plea on February 19 challenging the Centre’s law.
The new CEC is set to serve until January 26, 2029. His tenure will end before the next general election.
Kumar will oversee the Bihar Assembly polls this year and the Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry elections in 2026.
The Indian government introduced the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill in August 2023.
This legislation reformed the selection process for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).
Under the new law, the President can appoint the CEC and ECs based on recommendations from a Selection Committee. This committee comprises the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
The bill replaced the Chief Justice of India with a Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
The development has sparked concerns about the transparency of the appointment process.
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Gyanesh Kumar appointed chief election commissioner, a first by collegium
