Gyanesh Kumar likely to be new Chief Election Commissioner, PM-led panel clears name-OxBig News Network

Gyanesh Kumar, who was appointed the Election Commissioner in March 2024, is likely to succeed Rajiv Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner.

Sources privy to developments said the name of Kumar, considered close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, was cleared by the Selection Committee for the CEC led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consisting of Shah and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

A 1988-batch IAs officer from the Kerala cadre, Kumar is the senior-most Election Commissioner, the other being S.S. Sandhu, who was also appointed in March 2024.

The final appointment would be subject to notification which is expected any time now.

Rajiv Kumar demits office on February 18.

Importantly, once confirmed, Gyanesh Kumar will be the first appointment of CEC under the new CEC and Other Election Commissioners Bill, 2023, which came into force in December 2023 and is currently facing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court.

The apex court is to hear the case on February 19, with Rahul Gandhi attending the Selection Committee meeting today only to demand that the same be postponed for two to three weeks to enable the top court to hear the case.

The Supreme Court is set to hear petitions that have challenged the CEC and Other Election Commissioners Bill, 2023, on grounds that the Selection Committee is biased in the Executive’s favour with the three members comprising the Prime Minister, a Union Minister named by the government and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The Congress, later articulating the party’s stand on the issue, said the government did not need to operate on ego and could have postponed the meeting for few weeks and waited for the Supreme Court judgment.

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said the party demanded that the Centre file an early hearing and disposal application in the case before the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had on March 2, 2023, passed a judgment saying it was important for a level-playing field that the committee to select the CEC and Election Commissioners should have the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and Leader of Opposition.