Gyanesh Kumar has been named the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), according to the Union law ministry. He will take over from Rajiv Kumar, who is leaving the job when he turns 65 on Tuesday. CECs serve for six years or until they reach the age of 65, whichever comes first. Gyanesh Kumar is the first person to be appointed CEC under a new law about how election commissioners are chosen.
His name was chosen by a committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi also on the panel. This meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Earlier that day, Congress suggested that the selection meeting should be postponed until after the Supreme Court hears a related case on February 19. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said the government is trying to control the Election Commission instead of keeping it trustworthy by not including the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee.
Singhvi said, “We believe the government should wait until the hearing is done before making any decisions.” He also criticized the new law for creating a system that favors the government when choosing Election Commissioners.
According to Singhvi, this new committee goes against a Supreme Court ruling from March 2nd, 2023, which stated that the CEC and other Election Commissioners should be chosen by a team that includes the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India.
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