Wed Feb 19 09:08:22 UTC 2025: **New Chief Election Commissioner Appointed in India**
**New Delhi, February 19, 2025** – Gyanesh Kumar assumed charge as India’s 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday. He succeeds Rajiv Kumar, whose term ended on Tuesday. Simultaneously, Vivek Joshi was appointed as an Election Commissioner.
Kumar, who served as an Election Commissioner since March 2024, emphasized the importance of voting in his inaugural message, urging all eligible citizens to participate in the democratic process. He reiterated the Election Commission’s commitment to voters. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu remains the other Election Commissioner. Joshi, a former Haryana cadre IAS officer, began his term as Election Commissioner on the same day.
The appointment comes amidst ongoing discussion regarding the CEC selection process, as highlighted in an accompanying editorial.
First Piper 