New Delhi. Asal baat News. The Election Commission of India today bid farewell to Shri Rajiv Kumar who will be demitting the office of C...
The Election Commission of India today bid farewell to Shri Rajiv Kumar who will be demitting the office of Chief Election Commissioner on 18.02.2025.
Shri Rajiv Kumar had joined ECI as Election Commissioner on September 1st, 2020 and assumed charge as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner of India on May 15, 2022. His tenure spanning 4.5 years in the Commission was characterized by silent yet deep-rooted reforms across various domains spanning structural, technological, capacity development, communication, international cooperation and administration. Shri Kumar during his tenure has completed one full electoral cycle with conduct of elections in 31 States/UTs, the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections 2022, Lok Sabha elections 2024 and Rajya Sabha renewals -a rare and monumental feat in electoral management. The elections were conducted peacefully with near zero repolls and incidents of violence.
In his farewell address, CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar thanked the 15 million polling officials for their dedication to uphold democratic values. He asserted that the trust of close to nearly a billion voters is unfazed by motivated and uncorroborated attacks on India’s democratic institutions. As a proponent of technology, Shri Kumar outlined a path for strengthening conduct of elections while guarding against the threats of cyber-attacks and misinformation on social media. He lauded the voters for their vibrant participation especially women voters and said that the electoral process is marching towards more inclusivity. His full speech is annexed.
The Election Commissioners Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu conveyed their appreciation for the inclusive, transformative and purpose driven leadership of CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar, that has strengthened electoral processes and has raised India’s stature globally in the field of election management.
CEC Shri Kumar’s tenure was marked by a slew of electoral reforms, including operationalizing four qualifying dates for voter registration with advanced application facility for 17+ youngsters; simplified forms for voter registration; redefining electoral boundaries with delimitation in Assam;