PM Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi to bring new CEC as Rajiv Kumar who plans to go to Himalayas is retiring on 18 th Feb
The union Law Ministry has convened a meeting of the three members of CEC selection committee on 17 February 2025 for the selection of the new chief election commissioner as the incumbent CE C Rajeev Kumar is going to retire.
The prime minister Narendra Modi, the union law minister Arjun Meghwal and the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi are the members of this committee and will be present in this meeting to nominate the next CEC.
The current CEC Rajiv Kumar’s term is expiring on 18 February when he is retiring after his prolonged service in Election Commission.
It may be recalled that a selection committee was formed comprising of the PM, LOP, union Law minister, secretary of the Finance ministry, secretary DOPT.
Till now the senior most bureaucrat ( election commissioner) of the the Election Commission was made the CEC after the incumbent CEC’s superannuation.
Last year after the new law came into existence regarding the formation of the new committee as above for the selection of new CEC and election commissioners , the old system came to an end.
This is for the first time that this new law for the selection of the new CEC and Election Commissioners , their service conditions, appointment and and term of office etc is being implemented now.
The present CEC was elevated/nominated on May 2022 and the biggest national election of 2024 and state elections were conducted under his his leadership.
The elections to the other states like Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, the national capital , Maharashtra, Haryana , Jharkhand etc were also conducted under his stewardship.
Kindly recall that during 2023 the elections to Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan were also conducted under Rajeev Kumar CEC.
While declaring the dates of Delhi election in 2025 Rajiv Kumar also disclosed about his retirement this year including his plan on of excursion thereafter . He humorously told in the press conference sharing the lighter moments that during the last fourteen years while being in the office he couldn’t get time for anything else and after superannuation he plans to go to the Himalayas to detoxify himself and meditate there in seclusion.
There had been several accusations against the current CEC Rajiv Kumar for his alleged role in helping the ruling party and ignoring complaints filed against them for violation of election norms in Delhi elections. The opposition leaders in Delhi have openly said that while BJP has allegedly distributed money in New Delhi constituency with several electorates coming in camera accepting the bribe during polls and a video of Harish Khurana going viral in social media regarding his statement of Rs 75 lakhs having been given to him to distribute in JJ clusters instead of Rs three crores , the Election Commission had taken no action against them to date whereas opposition candidates are allegedly being maltreated and cases registered against them for minor violations during elections etc.
