- Friday, February 21, 2025
Vivek Joshi, a former Haryana cadre IAS officer, has assumed charge as an election commissioner
By: India Weekly
GYANESH KUMAR on Wednesday (19) took over as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner, while Vivek Joshi assumed charge as an Election Commissioner.
An Election Commissioner since March 2024, Kumar was elevated as the CEC on Monday.
Gyanesh Kumar replaced Rajiv Kumar, who demitted office on Tuesday (18), as head of the poll panel.
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is the other election commissioner.
Joshi, a former Haryana cadre IAS officer, was appointed as election commissioner on Monday.
In his message to voters after assuming charge, Kumar said, “First step for nation-building is voting. Therefore, every citizen of India who has completed 18 years of age should become an elector and should always vote.”
Kumar asserted that the “Election Commission was, is, and will always be with the voters”.
Gyanesh Kumar’s term will run till January 26, 2029, before which the EC is expected to announce the schedule for the next Lok Sabha election. Vivek Joshi’s tenure will run till 2031.
Supreme Court case
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will on Wednesday (19) hear petitions challenging the appointment process of the CEC and EC under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.
The Act removed the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection panel appointing the ECs.
Parliament passed the Act in December 2023 following a Supreme Court ruling that ECs should be appointed by a panel comprising the prime minister, the leader of the opposition and the Chief Justice of India until a law is enacted.
On Tuesday, A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was informed by advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for an NGO, that despite the Constitution bench verdict of 2023 directing selection and appointment of the CEC and ECs through a panel including the chief justice of India, the government excluded the CJI and made a “mockery of democracy”.
He said, “The matter is listed on February 19 but it is listed as item number 41. The government has appointed the CEC and EC as per 2023 law disregarding the view taken by a constitution bench. Kindly take up on top of the board as the matter requires urgent consideration.”
Advocate Varun Thakur, appearing for petitioner Jaya Thakur, said three appointments were made by the government under the new law, which was under challenge.
The bench assured Bhushan and other parties that after some urgent listed matters, it would take up the petitions for hearing on February 19. (Agencies)
