NEW DELHI, Feb 17: The law ministry announced the appointment of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Monday. Notably, Kumar is the inaugural CEC appointed under a newly established law governing the selection of Election Commission (EC) members. His tenure is set to last until January 26, 2029, just ahead of the anticipated announcement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In addition, Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Haryana cadre, has been designated as an election commissioner. Born on May 21, 1966, Joshi (58) will serve on the commission until 2031. As per regulations, a CEC or an election commissioner retires at 65 years old or serves a maximum of six years on the commission.
Previously, Sushil Chandra, who held the position of chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), transitioned to become an election commissioner after resigning from the CBDT. Joshi, who served as the chief secretary of Haryana, had been on central deputation since January 2019.
During his tenure as the 26th CEC, Kumar will be responsible for overseeing the Bihar Assembly elections later this year, as well as the Kerala and Puducherry Assembly elections in 2026. He will also supervise the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, scheduled for the same year.
Kumar previously played a significant role in executing decisions related to the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir while working at the Union home ministry. He took on the role of election commissioner on March 15, 2024.
His appointment comes shortly after the Congress party urged the government to postpone its decision on the new CEC until the Supreme Court completes its review of a petition challenging the selection panel’s composition. This request was made by Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, during a meeting of the selection panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which also included Home Minister Amit Shah.
Kumar is a 1988-batch IAS officer from Kerala. After earning a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, he pursued studies in Business Finance at ICFAI, India, and Environmental Economics at Harvard University, US. His extensive experience includes positions such as assistant collector of Ernakulam, sub-collector of Adoor, and municipal commissioner of the Corporation of Cochin, in addition to various roles within the Kerala government.
As a secretary for the Kerala government, Kumar managed several diverse departments, including finance resources, fast-track projects, and public works. His rich experience in the central government encompasses tenures as joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence, joint secretary and additional secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as secretary for the Ministries of Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperation. He retired from his service on January 31, 2024.
