Gyanesh Kumar assumes charge as new Chief Election Commissioner

New Delhi, Feb 20, 2025, By news on air16

Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar today called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Mr Kumar assumed charge as the new Chief Election Commissioner at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi yesterday.

Mr Kumar succeeds Rajiv Kumar who completed his tenure on Tuesday. In his message to the people, after assuming charge as Chief Election Commissioner, Mr Kumar said, the first step for nation-building is voting and every citizen of India who has completed 18 years of age should become an elector and always vote. He added that under the Constitution of India, Electoral Laws, Rules and Instructions issued therein, the Election Commission was, is and will always be with the voters.

Before his elevation as Chief Election Commissioner, Mr Kumar was serving as Election Commissioner since the 15th of March last year. During his tenure as Election Commissioner, elections were held for the 18th Lok Sabha and Assemblies of Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi.

A 1988 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Kerala Cadre, Gyanesh Kumar has rich and varied experience working in both central and state governments. He has served as Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Cooperation.