Today, On 19th February, Gyanesh Kumar has taken charge ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the selection of the Chief Election Commissioner. His appointment was officially announced late last night. The decision has sparked controversy, with Rahul Gandhi and the Congress raising objections to his nomination. The issue is expected to be discussed in the top court soon.
New Delhi: Gyanesh Kumar took office as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday morning, succeeding Rajiv Kumar. He will oversee nearly two dozen elections, including state and presidential contests, during his four-year term.
An ex-IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, Mr. Kumar previously served in the Home Ministry under current Home Minister Amit Shah, where he played a key role in drafting the bill that revoked Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
In his inaugural remarks, Mr. Kumar stated,
“The first step for nation-building is voting. Therefore, every citizen of India who has completed 18 years of age should become an elector and should always vote. The Election Commission was, is, and will always be with the voters.”
His appointment, announced late last night, has created controversy following objections from Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. Mr. Gandhi, who is part of a three-member panel responsible for selecting the new CEC, submitted a dissent note against Gyanesh Kumar’s nomination, despite an ongoing challenge in the Supreme Court regarding the committee’s constitution.
This refers to a previous Supreme Court ruling that mandated the inclusion of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India on the selection committee. To bypass this ruling, the central government expedited a bill to replace the Chief Justice.
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Additionally, the Election Commission announced that Dr. Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Haryana cadre, officially joined the panel this morning. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on this matter later today.
The contention is that the current committee comprising the Prime Minister, a cabinet member nominated by him, and the Leader of the Opposition may be biased toward the ruling party, potentially undermining the Election Commission’s neutrality.
On Tuesday, Mr. Gandhi criticized the central government’s “midnight decision” to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as CEC, labeling the nomination a “violation of the Supreme Court order (by) removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee.”
Mr. Gandhi remarked,
“During the meeting of the committee to select the next (Chief) Election Commissioner, I presented a dissent note to the PM and HM that stated: ‘The most fundamental aspect of an independent Election Commission… free from executive interference… is the process of choosing the Election Commissioner and Chief Election Commissioner,'”
He added on X,
“By violating the Supreme Court order and removing the Chief Justice of India from the committee, the Modi government has exacerbated the concerns of hundreds of millions of voters over the integrity of our electoral process,”
The Supreme Court’s decision on this issue could greatly affect the independence of the Election Commission. As the case continues, everyone is keen to see how the judges handle concerns about the appointment process. Political experts, legal professionals, and the public are closely following this case because it could impact India’s democracy.
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