Blitz Bureau
NEWLY appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar who assumed office on February 19 emphasised the fundamental role of voting in nation-building. In his message to voters, he urged every eligible citizen to actively participate in the electoral process.
“The first step for nation-building is voting. Every Indian citizen who has turned 18 should register as an elector and exercise their right to vote. In line with the Constitution of India, electoral laws, and related rules, the Election Commission of India has always stood by the voters and will continue to do so,” Kumar said while addressing the media.
Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, now leads the three-member Election Commission panel. He is senior to the other two commissioners—Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, an IAS officer from the Uttarakhand cadre, and Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Haryana cadre. Vivek Joshi also officially took charge as Election Commissioner following the Ministry of Law & Justice’s Gazette notification dated February 17, 2025.
Meanwhile, outgoing CEC Rajiv Kumar, who served as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner of India, stepped down on February 18.
