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Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after a meeting of a three-member committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kumar will take office on February 19, 2025, the same day the Supreme Court will hear a challenge to the new law used for his selection.
Haryana Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi has been appointed as an Election Commissioner.
Objections
The Congress party raised concerns, asking the government to delay the committee's meeting until after the court hearing, claiming the selection process is biased and not neutral.
The selection committee includes the Prime Minister, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
Congress argued the new law creates a biased process, violating a 2023 SC ruling, which called for a neutral selection panel with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) instead of a Union Minister.
This is the first time the CEC has been appointed under the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023
Before this law, Election Commissioners were appointed by the President based on government recommendations.
The law came into effect after the Supreme Court’s March 2023 ruling.
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