Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who oversaw Lok Sabha and J&K polls, demits office

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.