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{{Short description|Constitutional post to the Government of India}}
{{distinguish|Election Commissioner of India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Chief Election Commissioner
| body = India
| nativename =
| flag =
| flagsiz =
| flagborder =
| flagcaption =
| insignia = ECI Logo.svg
| insigniasize = 100px
| insigniacaption = Logo of The Election Commission of India
| type = Chief Election Commissioner
| status = Head of the [[Election Commission of India]]
| department = [[Election Commission of India]]
| image = Gyanesh Kumar at India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management 2025 (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| incumbent = [[Gyanesh Kumar]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=Gyanesh Kumar appointed 26th Chief Election Commissioner |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/gyanesh-kumar-appointed-26th-chief-election-commissioner/articleshow/118335153.cms |access-date=2025-02-18 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
| incumbentsince = 19 February 2025
| style =
| residence =
| nominator = [[Union Council of Ministers]]
| nominatorpost =
| appointer = [[President of India]]
| termlength = 6 years or up to 65 years of age (whichever is prior)
| inaugural = [[Sukumar Sen (civil servant)|Sukumar Sen]]
| formation =
| last =
| abolished =
| succession =
| deputy = [[Election Commissioners of India]] Deputy Election Commissioners of India
| salary = {{INRConvert|250|k}} per month<ref name="EC1991"/><ref name="HC"/>
| website = {{URL|https://eci.gov.in/|Election Commission of India}}
}}
{{Politics of India}}
{{Elections}}
The '''chief election commissioner of India''' ('''CEC''') heads the [[Election Commission of India]], a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections. An election commissioner is appointed by the [[president of India]] on the recommendation of a three-member selection committee headed by the [[Prime Minister of India|prime minister]] and consisting of the [[Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha|leader of the opposition]] and a Union Cabinet minister.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chakrabarty |first1=Sreeparna |title=Bill introduced to remove CJI from panel to select Election Commissioners |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bill-moved-to-remove-cji-from-panel-to-select-election-commissioners/article67180873.ece |access-date=7 September 2025 |work=The Hindu |date=10 August 2023 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chakrabarty |first1=Sreeparna |title=PM Modi, LoP Rahul Gandhi to meet on Feb 17 to name CEC Rajiv Kumar’s successor |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/panel-with-pm-modi-lop-rahul-gandhi-to-meet-next-week-to-name-cec-rajiv-kumars-successor/article69219149.ece |access-date=7 September 2025 |work=The Hindu |date=14 February 2025 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

The term of a CEC can be a maximum of six years or until they attain sixty-five years of age. The chief election commissioner is usually a member of the [[Civil Services of India|Indian Civil Service]] and mostly from the [[Indian Administrative Service]].

The chief election commissioner is placed at 9A position in the [[order of precedence in India]] along with the chairperson of [[Union Public Service Commission]] and the [[Comptroller and Auditor General of India|comptroller and auditor general of India]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Table of Precedence |url=https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-01/table_of_precedence%5B1%5D.pdf |website=mha.gov.in |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs |access-date=7 September 2025}}</ref>

== Role and powers ==
Chief election commissioner of India (CEC) heads the [[Election Commission of India]], a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the [[Parliament of India|national legislature]], state legislatures, [[President of India|president]] and [[Vice-President of India|vice-president]]. This power of the Election Commission of India is derived from the [[Part XV of the Constitution of India|Article 324]] of the [[Constitution of India]].<ref name="CEC">{{cite web|url=https://www.ceoandaman.nic.in/election/gfaq.php|title=Election, FAQ|publisher=Government of India|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref> The chief election commissioner is usually a member of the [[Civil Services of India|Indian Civil Service]] and mostly from the [[Indian Administrative Service]]. The Election Commission of India consists of a chief election commissioner and two election commissioners. The chief election commissioner does not have overruling powers and any decision is taken by the opinion of the majority among the three.<ref name="CEC"/>

== Appointment and term of office ==
The appointment and term of the chief election commissioner are prescribed in the [[Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023]]. As per Section 7 of the act, an election commissioner is appointed by the president of India on the recommendation of a selection committee headed by the [[Prime Minister of India|prime minister]] and consisting of the [[Leader of the Opposition (India)|leader of the opposition]] in [[Lok Sabha]] and a member of the [[Union Council of Ministers]] to be nominated by the prime minister.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/sc-refuses-to-stay-new-law-on-appointment-of-cec-ecs-by-panel-excluding-cji-issues-notice/articleshow/107659220.cms?from=mdr|title=SC refuses to stay new law on appointment of CEC and ECs, issues notice to Centre|date=13 February 2024|access-date=1 April 2024|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref> The senior most member of the election commission is appointed as the chief election commissioner by the president.<ref name="CEC"/>

The term of the CEC can be a maximum of six years from the date on which they assume their office. However, the CEC retires from office if they attain the age of sixty-five years before the expiry of the term.<ref name="CEC"/>

The CEC can be removed from the office through the process of impeachment, requiring a two-thirds majority of the Lok Sabha and the [[Rajya Sabha]] to be present and voting for the same.<ref name="CEC"/>

== Compensation ==
As per the ''Election Commission (Condition Of Service Of Election Commissions And Transaction Of Business) Act, 1991'', the salary of the chief election commissioner is the same as salary of a judge of [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name="EC1991">{{cite web|title=Election Commission (Condition Of Service Of Election Commissions And Transaction Of Business) Act, 1991|url=http://vakilno1.com/bareacts/Laws/Election-Commission-Condition-Of-Service-Of-Election-Commissions-And-Transaction-Of-Business-Act-1991.htm|publisher=Vakil No. 1|access-date=17 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123122252/http://vakilno1.com/bareacts/Laws/Election-Commission-Condition-Of-Service-Of-Election-Commissions-And-Transaction-Of-Business-Act-1991.htm|archive-date=23 January 2013}}</ref> The CEC draws a monthly salary of {{INRConvert|250|k|lk=}} plus allowances.<ref name="EC1991"/><ref name="HC">{{cite web|title=The High Court and Supreme Court Judges Salaries and Conditions of Service Amendment Bill 2008|url=http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/1230018357/1230018357_The_High_Court_and_Supreme_Court_Judges__Salaries_and_Conditions_of_Service__Amendment_Bill__2008.pdf|publisher=PRS India|access-date=17 September 2012|archive-date=22 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822023037/http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/1230018357/1230018357_The_High_Court_and_Supreme_Court_Judges__Salaries_and_Conditions_of_Service__Amendment_Bill__2008.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==List of chief election commissioners==
The following have held the post of the chief election commissioner of India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Chief Election Commissioners|url=https://eci.gov.in/former-cec-ec/|publisher=[[Election Commission of India]]|access-date=19 May 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! No.
! Name
! width=75|Portrait
! colspan="3"|Term of office
|-
| 1
|[[Sukumar Sen (civil servant)|Sukumar Sen]]
|[[File:Sukumar Sen.jpg|75px]]
|21 March 1950
|19 December 1958
|{{ayd|1950|3|21|1958|12|19}}
|-
| 2
|[[Kalyan Sundaram]]
|
|20 December 1958
|30 September 1967
|{{ayd|1958|12|20|1967|9|30}}
|-
| 3
|[[S. P. Sen Verma]]
|
|1 October 1967
|30 September 1972
|{{ayd|1967|10|1|1972|9|30}}
|-
| 4
|[[Nagendra Singh]]
|
|1 October 1972
|6 February 1973
|{{ayd|1972|10|1|1973|2|6}}
|-
| 5
|[[T. Swaminathan]]
|
|7 February 1973
|17 June 1977
|{{ayd|1973|6|7|1977|6|17}}
|-
| 6
|[[S. L. Shakdhar]]
|
|18 June 1977
|17 June 1982
|{{ayd|1977|6|18|1982|6|17}}
|-
| 7
|[[R. K. Trivedi]]
|
|18 June 1982
|31 December 1985
|{{ayd|1982|6|18|1985|12|31}}
|-
| 8
|[[R. V. S. Peri Sastri]]
|
|1 January 1986
|25 November 1990
|{{Age in years and days|1 January 1986|25 November 1990}}
|-
|9
|[[V. S. Ramadevi]]
|[[File:VS RamaDevi.jpg|75px]]
|26 November 1990
|11 December 1990
|16
days
|-
|10
|[[T. N. Seshan]]
|[[File:T.N. Seshan in 1994.jpg|75px]]
|12 December 1990
|11 December 1996
|6 years
|-
|11
|[[M. S. Gill]]
|[[File:Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. M.S. Gill.jpg|75px]]
|12 December 1996
|13 June 2001
|4 years 69 days
|-
|12
|[[James Michael Lyngdoh|J. M. Lyngdoh]]
|[[File:J.M. Lyngdoh.png|75px]]
|14 June 2001
|7 February 2004
|2 years 269 days
|-
|13
|[[T. S. Krishnamurthy]]
|[[File:The Chief Election Commissioner Shri T. S. Krishna Murthy delivering the keynote address on "Media Coverage of Election in India towards Free and Fair Elections" at a function organised by Centre for Advocacy and Research (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|8 February 2004
|15 May 2005
|1 year 69 days
|-
|14
|[[B. B. Tandon]]
|[[File:Shri B.B. Tandon in his office after assuming the charge as the Chief Election Commissioner of India in New Delhi on May 16, 2005.jpg|75px]]
|16 May 2005
|29 June 2006
|269 days
|-
|15
|[[N. Gopalaswami]]
|[[File:The Chief Election Commissioner, Shri N. Gopalaswami announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, at a Press Conference, in New Delhi on March 02, 2009 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|30 June 2006
|20 April 2009
|{{Age in years and days|30 June 2006|20 April 2009}}
|-
|16
|[[Navin Chawla]]
|[[File:Election Commissioner Shri Navin. B. Chawla releasing Landmark Judgments on Election Law at a meeting with Chief Electoral Officers of all the States, in New Delhi on June 28, 2006 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|21 April 2009
|29 July 2010
|1 year 89 days
|-
|17
|[[S. Y. Quraishi]]
|[[File:Dr. S.Y. Quraishi taking charge as the Chief Election Commissioner of India, in New Delhi on July 30, 2010 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|30 July 2010
|10 June 2012
|1 year 316 days
|-
|18
|[[V. S. Sampath]]
|[[File:Shri V. S. Sampath assuming the charge of the Election Commissioner, in New Delhi on April, 21, 2009.jpg|75px]]
|11 June 2012
|15 January 2015
|2 year 218 days
|-
|19
|[[Harishankar Brahma]]
|[[File:The Chief Election Commissioner, Shri H.S. Bramha addressing a Curtain Raiser Press Conference on the project of seeding of Aadhar with Electoral Roll database, in New Delhi on February 26, 2015 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|16 January 2015
|18 April 2015
|92 days
|-
|20
|[[Nasim Zaidi]]
|[[File:Dr. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi assumes the charge as the Election Commissioner of India, in New Delhi on August 07, 2012.jpg|75px]]
|19 April 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main1/election_comission.aspx|title=Election Commission of India|website=ECI.nic.in|access-date=11 June 2017}}</ref>
|5 July 2017
|2 years 77 days
|-
|21
|[[Achal Kumar Jyoti]]
|[[File:Shri Achal Kumar Joti taking charge as the Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC), in New Delhi on July 06, 2017 (1) (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|6 July 2017<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-chief-election-commissioner-achal-kumar-jyoti-to-take-charge-on-july-6-1022011-2017-07-02|title=India's new Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Jyoti to take charge on 6 July|date=3 July 2017|editor-last=Borgohain|editor-first=Sonalee|website=[[India Today]]|access-date=2 September 2017}}</ref>
|22 January 2018
|{{ayd|2017|7|6|2018|1|22}}
|-
|22
|[[Om Prakash Rawat]]
|[[File:Shri Om Prakash Rawat (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|23 January 2018<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/om-prakash-rawat-to-succeed-ak-joti-as-new-chief-election-commissioner-5033745/|title=Om Prakash Rawat to succeed AK Joti as new Chief Election Commissioner|date=21 January 2018|website=[[The Indian Express]]|publication-place=[[New Delhi]]|access-date=21 January 2018}}</ref>
|1 December 2018
|{{ayd|2018|1|23|2018|12|1}}
|-
|23
|[[Sunil Arora]]
|[[File:Media address by Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Sunil Arora on 2nd December 2018 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|2 December 2018<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/president-kovind-appoints-sunil-arora-as-new-chief-election-commissioner-5465892/|title=President Kovind appoints Sunil Arora as new Chief Election Commissioner|date=2018-11-26|access-date=2018-11-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sunil-arora-takes-over-as-chief-election-commissioner-will-oversee-2019-polls/story-xFbXfa07Z5CIX2NNBQWByO.html|title=Sunil Arora takes over as Chief Election Commissioner, will oversee 2019 polls|date=2018-12-02}}</ref>
| 12 April 2021
|{{ayd|2018|12|2|2021|4|12}}
|-
|24
|[[Sushil Chandra]]
| [[File:Sushil Chandra, Election Commissioner of India (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|13 April 2021<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sushil-chandra-appointed-chief-election-commissioner/article34303884.ece|title = Sushil Chandra appointed Chief Election Commissioner|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 12 April 2021|last1 = Nath|first1 = Damini}}</ref>
|14 May 2022
|{{ayd|2021|4|13|2022|5|14}}
|-
|25
|[[Rajiv Kumar (civil servant)|Rajiv Kumar]]
|[[File:Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|15 May 2022<ref>{{cite news |title=Rajiv Kumar takes charge as 25th Chief Election Commissioner, says EC won't shy away from tough calls |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rajiv-kumar-assumes-charge-as-chief-election-commissioner/article65416424.ece |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=The Hindu |date=15 May 2022 |language=en-IN}}</ref>
|18 February 2025
|{{Age in years and days|15 May 2022|18 February 2025}}
|-
|26
|[[Gyanesh Kumar]]
|[[File:Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar.jpg|left|frameless|75x75px]]
|19 February 2025<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gyanesh-kumar-named-new-chief-election-commissioner-101739805476783.html|title=Gyanesh Kumar appointed next chief election commissioner|access-date=18 February 2024|date=18 February 2014|newspaper=[[The Hindustan Times]]}}</ref>
|''Incumbent''
|{{Age in years and days|19 February 2025}}
|}

== Reforms ==
The Election Commission of India was a single member body till 1989 when two election commissioners were appointed to aid the chief election commissioner.<ref name="CEC"/> While the office has always been an important one in the machinery of the Indian political process, it gained significant public attention during the tenure of [[T.N. Seshan]], from 1990 to 1996.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Narasimhan|first1=T. E.|title=The more you kick me...|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/-the-more-you-kick-me-112051200032_1.html|access-date=9 August 2016|work=Business Standard|date=12 May 2012}}</ref> Seshan is widely credited with enforcing the powers of the election commission strongly and undertaking a zealous effort to end corruption and manipulation in Indian elections.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Das|first1=Sanjib Kumar|title=The man who cleaned up India's elections|url=http://gulfnews.com/culture/people/the-man-who-cleaned-up-india-s-elections-1.1326815|access-date=10 August 2016|work=Gulf News|date=1 May 2014}}</ref><ref name=india1>{{cite news|last1=Srivastava|first1=Ritesh K.(The Observer)|title=Empowering the EC|url=http://zeenews.india.com/blog/empowering-the-ec_658.html|access-date=19 December 2014|publisher=Zee News|date=5 March 2012}}</ref>

In June 2012, former [[Deputy Prime Minister of India|deputy prime minister]] and former [[Leader of the Opposition (India)|leader of the opposition]] in [[Parliament of India|Indian Parliament]], [[Lal Krishna Advani]], suggested that appointment of CEC (as well as the [[Comptroller and Auditor General of India|comptroller and auditor general]] (CAG)) should be made by a [[bipartisan]] [[collegium]] consisting of the prime minister, the [[Chief Justice of India|chief justice]], the [[Ministry of Law and Justice (India)|law minister]] and the leaders of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.<ref>{{cite web|title=Members Bioprofile|url=http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=9|publisher=Lok Sabha of India/National Informatics Centre, New Delhi|access-date=27 April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429080434/http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=9|archive-date=29 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="KA2">{{cite news|title=KA2|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Karunanidhi-backs-Advanis-view-on-collegium-to-appoint-CAG-Election-Commissioner/articleshow/13850538.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101092927/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-05/india/32055097_1_karunanidhi-backs-collegium-l-k-advani|url-status=live|archive-date=1 November 2013|access-date=5 October 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=5 June 2012}}</ref> As per Advani, the demand was to remove any impression of bias or lack of transparency and fairness because the existent system was open to manipulation and [[partisanship]].<ref name="KA2"/><ref name="KA1"/> Subsequently, the former [[Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu|chief minister of Tamil Nadu]], [[M Karunanidhi]], also supported the suggestion.<ref name="KA1">{{cite news|title=Karunanidhi backs Advani's plea for collegium|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3493632.ece|access-date=5 October 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=5 June 2012|location=Chennai}}</ref> Similar recommendations were made by former CEC's such as [[B B Tandon]], [[N Gopalaswamy]] and [[S Y Quraishi]].<ref name="SYQ">{{cite news|title=SYQ|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Collegium-needed-to-select-EC-SY-Quraishi/articleshow/14974775.cms|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=16 July 2012|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-CECs backed collegium, Law Ministry not too keen|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/excecs-backed-collegium-law-ministry-not-too-keen/960128/0|access-date=5 October 2012|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|date=10 June 2012}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Chief Election Commissioner of India}}

{{Clear}}
{{Chief Election Commissioners of India}}
{{Indian elections}}

[[Category:Chief election commissioners of India| ]]
[[Category:Election Commission of India]]

Chief Election Commissioner of India - Revision history

CleanupBot at 06:57, 22 March 2026