Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu assumed the responsibilities of Election Commissioner on Friday morning. It’s noteworthy that the Narendra Modi government had issued notifications for their appointments on Thursday. The Election Commission is set to hold a meeting today at 11 a.m. regarding the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Gyanesh Kumar’s Background
Gyanesh Kumar has served in various positions in Kerala. Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Gyanesh Kumar joined Kerala as a 1988 batch IAS officer. He cleared the IAS exam at the age of 24. Beginning his service as an Assistant Collector in Kottayam, he later worked as Deputy Collector in Thrissur and Palakkad. He also served as the District Collector of Ernakulam. Furthermore, he held positions such as MD of the Delhi Kerala House Corporation, Secretary of SC/ST, and Resident Commissioner.
Later, in 2016, he transitioned to the Central Deputation. During this tenure, he worked as the Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation and retired on January 31st this year. During his Central Deputation, Gyanesh Kumar held crucial positions, including Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs when Article 370 was abrogated. He also participated in the amendment of various multi-state cooperative societies’ acts. Even during the tenure of the UPA government when A.K. Antony was Defense Minister, Gyanesh Kumar opted for the Central Deputation and was appointed as the Joint Secretary.
Former IAS Officer Sukhbir Singh Sandhu
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is a retired IAS officer. He was the 17th Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand. After the BJP came to power, he served as the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand and later as the Chief Minister of Pushkar in 2021. Sandhu also served as the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). He has also worked as Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Sandhu completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Amritsar, and obtained a Master’s degree in History from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. He also worked as the Commissioner of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation. Both of them were appointed as Chief Election Commissioners by a panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which also included Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Anticipation for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections
Just a few days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Chief Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned from his post on February 9th, which was viewed with considerable skepticism by the opposition and civil society. His tenure was until December 5, 2027, and after the retirement of the current Rajiv Kumar in February next year, he would become the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
According to information, a meeting of the Election Commission is scheduled for today, Friday, March 15th, where it is possible that the election program and dates will be announced.
