The Election Commission of India on Monday bid farewell to Rajiv Kumar who will be demitting the office of Chief Election Commissioner on February 18, 2025 after completing a tenure of 4.5 years.
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.
Kumar’s 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. The elections were conducted peacefully with near zero repolls and incidents of violence.
In his farewell address, CEC 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. “The very essence of democracy lies in its inclusivity, ensuring that every voice, regardless of age, gender, or ability, is heard and valued,” he said.
As a proponent of technology, 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.
The Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu conveyed their appreciation for the inclusive, transformative and purpose driven leadership of CEC Rajiv Kumar, that has strengthened electoral processes and has raised India’s stature globally in the field of election management.
CEC 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; ensuring voting by polling personnel at Voter Facilitation Centre to avoid any intimidation, delays and wrong doing. These initiatives were aimed at empowering every eligible citizen while modernizing election administration.
Under his leadership, ERONET 2.0, managing largest electoral databases, strengthened voter roll management with multi-layered security, seamless, and real-time application processing. Kumar also established mechanisms to tackle the challenge of misinformation and fake news on social media platforms. A myth vs reality register was launched during Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
