Who Is Gyanesh Kumar, Newly Appointed Election Commissioner By PM Modi-Led Panel

Know all about Gyanesh Kumar, the newly appointed Election Commissioner by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel...

New Delhi: Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, MP of Congress, who is also a member of the PM Modi-led panel deciding on the names of the new Election Commissioners, has announced the names finalised. According to the Congress MP, retired bureaucrats, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar have been selected as the new Election Commissioners, however, their names are yet to receive the assent of the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. From educational qualifications to the professional journey, read to know all about the newly appointed Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar who is a retired IAS officer…

Who Is Gyanesh Kumar? 

The newly appointed Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar is an alumni of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur) and he first worked at HUDCO. Gyanesh Kumar, is a batchmate of Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, an IAS officer of 1988-batch and is from the Kerala cadre. Gyanesh Kumar has been the Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and has also served as a Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation, led by Home Minister Amit Shah. He retired from the services on January 31, 2024 after his superannuation.

Adhir Ranjan Disagrees With Selection Process

While interacting with media, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary said, “They (govt) have the majority (in the committee who appoints election commissioner). Earlier, they had given me 212 names, but 10 minutes before the appointment they again gave me just six names. I know that the CJI isn’t there, govt has made such a law that the CJI doesn’t interfere and the Central govt can choose a favourable name. I am not saying that it’s arbitrary but the procedure that is being followed has some lacunae.”

On December 12, Rajya Sabha passed a bill to regulate the appointment and service terms of Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners. The bill replaces the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991. As per the Bill, the CEC and ECs will be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of a Selection Committee, which will consist of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition or leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.

(Inputs from ANI)