Newly appointed CEC Gyanesh Kumar takes charge; says first step for nation building is voting

Newly appointed CEC Gyanesh Kumar takes charge; says first step for nation building is voting

Newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar assumed office on Wednesday, emphasizing the fundamental role of voting in nation-building. In his message to voters, he urged every eligible citizen to actively participate in the electoral process.

“The first step for nation-building is voting. Every Indian citizen who has turned 18 should register as an elector and exercise their right to vote. In line with the Constitution of India, electoral laws, and related rules, the Election Commission of India has always stood by the voters and will continue to do so,” Kumar said while addressing the media.

Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, now leads the three-member Election Commission panel. He is senior to the other two commissioners—Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, an IAS officer from the Uttarakhand cadre, and Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Haryana cadre. Vivek Joshi also officially took charge as Election Commissioner following the Ministry of Law & Justice’s Gazette notification dated February 17, 2025.

Meanwhile, outgoing CEC Rajiv Kumar, who served as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner of India, stepped down on Tuesday, describing the Election Commission as “the place of worship of democracy.” He expressed confidence in the institution’s future and the leadership of the new team.

According to an official statement from the Election Commission, Rajiv Kumar joined the ECI as Election Commissioner on September 1, 2020, and assumed charge as CEC on May 15, 2022. During his 4.5-year tenure, he implemented silent yet profound reforms across structural, technological, and administrative domains.

Under his leadership, the Commission successfully conducted a full electoral cycle, overseeing elections in 31 states and Union Territories, the 2022 Presidential and Vice Presidential elections, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and Rajya Sabha renewals. These elections were conducted peacefully, with minimal instances of repolling or violence, marking a significant achievement in electoral management.