Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who oversaw LS and
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who oversaw LS and J-K polls, demits office
Rajiv Kumar, who oversaw the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the crucial Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, demits office on Tuesday as the 25th chief election commissioner after a nearly three-year tenure
Outgoing Chief Clection Commissioner Rajiv Kumar speaks
to the media, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI — Rajiv Kumar, who oversaw the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the
crucial Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, demits office on Tuesday as the 25th
chief election commissioner after a nearly three-year tenure marked with high
electoral successes but also repeated allegations of bias by opposition
parties.
Kumar joined the poll panel as an Election Commissioner
on September 1, 2020, and assumed charge as the 25th CEC on May 15, 2022. He
served the EC for about four-and-a-half years in the two capacities.
During his time with the EC, he effected reforms across
various aspects of it functioning: structural, technological, capacity
development, communication, international cooperation and administration.
Kumar completed one "full electoral cycle" by
overseeing the conduct of elections in 31 states and union territories, the
Presidential and Vice Presidential elections in 2022, Lok Sabha elections in
2024 and Rajya Sabha polls.
However, he often faced criticism of opposition parties
and activists on several issues including the efficacy of Electronic Voting
Machines, alleged fudging of voter data and being "lenient" on the
ruling BJP.
While the Commission responded -- and rejected -- to the
allegations in writing, Kumar often took to poetry to defend himself and the
poll authority.
When he was attacked for "being lenient on the
ruling BJP to bag a post-retirement job", Kumar announced he would go to
the "deep Himalayas" for six months after demitting office to
"detoxify" himself.
On his last day in office on Tuesday, Kumar told PTI
Videos he is leaving the EC in very capable hands -- the government announced
on Monday night Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will succeed Rajiv Kumar --
and the Indian voter will stand behind the Commission with all their might.
In his media interactions, Rajiv Kumar often questioned
the timing of petitions raising doubts over poll processes. He said the intent
behind filing petitions just before an election was to discredit the EC and the
entire electoral process.
In his farewell address, Kumar said he "observed a
pattern in the timing of certain narratives".
"The live reporting of hearing of long-pending cases
at critical junctures, sometimes fuel distrust that the petitioner intends to
create. It would be beneficial if such proceedings are scheduled with due
consideration to the election period, ensuring that the electoral process
remains smooth and undisturbed. This is a specific expectation of India's
esteemed constitutional Courts," he said.
He also said that the Election Commission remains
steadfast in its commitment to addressing concerns surrounding promises of
unchecked freebies and overpromising manifestos.
"While the matter related to freebies is currently
sub-judice, and I hope for a timely decision from the court, it is imperative
in the interim that political promises are
backed by clear disclosures on their financial viability
and their effect on the fiscal health of the state," he said.
In 2021, when the world was dealing with the COVID-19
pandemic, Kumar as election commissioner had drafted an affidavit, saying the
courts may punish him if he was in the wrong but they should absolve the EC of
doubts.
The affidavit planned to be filed before the Madras High
Court, and later the Supreme Court, could not be submitted.
He wanted to respond to an observation by the Madras HC
that the EC was singularly responsible for Covid surge in Tamil Nadu by holding
assembly polls amid the pandemic.
Kumar had also been vocally critical of the way exit
polls are held and how news channels show trends during early period of
counting of votes. He had dubbed the practice of showing early trends on
counting day by news channels as "nonsense".
Kumar also said exit polls create a huge distraction by
raising expectations and it was a matter for self-introspection for the media,
particularly electronic media.
"We do not govern exit polls, but there is a need
for self-introspection. What was the sample size, where was the survey done,
how did the result come and what is my responsibility if I did not match to
that result, are there disclosures – all of these need to be seen," Kumar
said recently.
Prior to assuming charge in the Election Commission,
Kumar had been chairman, Public Enterprises Selection Board during April-August
2020. He was the Union Finance Secretary from July 2019 to February 2020, and
Secretary, Financial Services from September 2017 to July 2019 and
Establishment Officer from March 2015 to June 2017.
An officer of the Indian Administrative Service of
Bihar/Jharkhand cadre of the 1984 batch, he superannuated in February 2020 from
government service.
During his tenure as CEC, Kumar carried out delimitation
of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies of Assam.
Through consensus, consultation, and active
participation, Kumar along with fellow Commissioners, brought together various
stakeholders with conflicting viewpoints and interests to the same table,
fostering an inclusive, participative and representative approach towards
redefining electoral boundaries.
