Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, taking over from Rajiv Kumar, whose tenure concludes on 18 February.
Kumar, the senior of the two remaining election commissioners, steps into the role at a critical juncture, with both national and state elections on the horizon, reports Wion News.
Additionally, Vivek Joshi, an IAS officer from the 1989 batch of the Haryana cadre, has been named as an election commissioner.
The announcement came shortly after a meeting of the selection panel, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. While the Congress leader expressed dissent during the meeting, the decision was finalised nonetheless.
Earlier, the Congress had called for a delay in the appointment until the Supreme Court completes its hearing on a petition challenging the structure of the selection panel.
A former IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, Kumar was chosen by the panel consisting of PM Modi, Amit Shah, and Rahul Gandhi. Prior to this role, he served as the Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. His appointment as the country's chief election official is particularly significant, given the crucial elections that lie ahead.
