Gyanesh Kumar officially assumed office as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday, leading the Election Commission alongside two other Election Commissioners. In his first message to the nation, Kumar emphasized the importance of voting in nation-building and urged every eligible citizen above 18 to register and participate in elections.

"The Election Commission was, is, and will always be with the voters, in line with the Constitution, electoral laws, rules, and instructions," the Election Commission of India stated, quoting Kumar.

Kumar was appointed as CEC on February 17 following a presidential order, based on the recommendation of a panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Notably, he is the first CEC appointed under the new law governing the selection of Election Commissioners. He replaces Rajiv Kumar, under whom he previously served as Election Commissioner.

Who is Gyanesh Kumar?

A 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, Kumar played a key role in drafting the bill that abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, leading to the formation of two union territories. At the time, he was the Joint Secretary (Kashmir Division) in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In 2020, as Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry, he handled critical matters related to the Supreme Court case on the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and oversaw key documents that contributed to the establishment of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.