ECI FILES · PEOPLE

Who has run the Commission, who runs it now

9 commissioners since 2019, 3 serving today, one law that changed how they're chosen.

Who ran the Commission, 2019–today

9 commissioners · 3 serving now

Election CommissionerChief Election CommissionerServing today2023 Act in force (2 Jan 2024)

Sunil Arora

Ashok Lavasa

Sushil Chandra

Rajiv Kumar

Anup Chandra Pandey

Arun Goel

Gyanesh Kumar

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu

Vivek Joshi

Members in office

Tenures from each commissioner's profile entry. The 2023 Act moved selection to a committee of the Prime Minister, a minister he nominates and the Leader of Opposition. How they were chosen →

Show as a table

Every tenure segment on the chart above.
Name	Office	From	To
Sunil Arora	Chief Election Commissioner	before 2019	12 Apr 2021
Ashok Lavasa	Election Commissioner	before 2019	31 Aug 2020
Sushil Chandra	Election Commissioner	15 Feb 2019	12 Apr 2021
Sushil Chandra	Chief Election Commissioner	13 Apr 2021	14 May 2022
Rajiv Kumar	Election Commissioner	1 Sep 2020	14 May 2022
Rajiv Kumar	Chief Election Commissioner	15 May 2022	18 Feb 2025
Anup Chandra Pandey	Election Commissioner	9 Jun 2021	14 Feb 2024
Arun Goel	Election Commissioner	21 Nov 2022	9 Mar 2024
Gyanesh Kumar	Election Commissioner	15 Mar 2024	18 Feb 2025
Gyanesh Kumar	Chief Election Commissioner	19 Feb 2025	present
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu	Election Commissioner	15 Mar 2024	present
Vivek Joshi	Election Commissioner	19 Feb 2025	present

The Commission

Sunil AroraChief Election Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Ashok LavasaElection Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Sushil ChandraChief Election Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Rajiv KumarChief Election Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Anup Chandra PandeyElection Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Arun GoelElection Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Gyanesh KumarChief Election Commissioner

SERVING

Sukhbir Singh SandhuElection Commissioner

SERVING

Vivek JoshiElection Commissioner

SERVING

Senior officials at the Commission

Pawan Kumar SharmaSenior Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI

Maneesh GargSenior Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI

Gyanesh BhartiSenior Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI (until repatriation in Aug 2026)

Sanjay KumarDeputy Election Commissioner, ECI (electoral roll charge)

Nitesh Kumar VyasSenior Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI (as of 2023-24)

Seema KhannaDirector General (IT), Election Commission of India

Dharmendra SharmaSenior Deputy Election Commissioner and Director General, IIIDEM (as of Nov 2022)

Pawan DiwanSecretary, Election Commission of India

Pramod Kumar SharmaPrincipal Secretary, Election Commission of India

Subrata GuptaAdviser to the Chief Minister of West Bengal (from 9 May 2026); formerly ECI Special Roll Observer, West Bengal

State Chief Electoral Officers

Vinod Singh GunjiyalCEO, Bihar

Ashok KumarCEO, NCT of Delhi

Sanjay GoelCEO, Goa

A. SreenivasCEO, Haryana

V. AnbukumarCEO, Karnataka

Rathan U. KelkarCEO, Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala (from 23 May 2026); formerly Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala

S. ChockalingamCEO, Maharashtra

Archana PatnaikCEO, Tamil Nadu

Navdeep RinwaCEO, Uttar Pradesh

Neelam MeenaCEO, West Bengal

Manoj Kumar AgarwalCEO, Chief Secretary, West Bengal (from 11 May 2026); formerly Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal

Show as a table

State Chief Electoral Officers named in the record.
State	Name	In office	Entries
Bihar	Vinod Singh Gunjiyal	since Apr 2025	1 entry · 1 documented
NCT of Delhi	Ashok Kumar	since Feb 2026	1 entry · 1 response
Goa	Sanjay Goel	since Aug 2025	5 entries · 1 documented · 3 reported · 1 response
Haryana	A. Sreenivas	since Jun 2025	3 entries · 1 claim · 2 responses
Karnataka	V. Anbukumar	since Jul 2025	2 entries · 2 responses
Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala (from 23 May 2026); formerly Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala	Rathan U. Kelkar	—	3 entries · 1 reported · 1 claim · 1 response
Maharashtra	S. Chockalingam	since Mar 2024	2 entries · 2 responses
Tamil Nadu	Archana Patnaik	since Nov 2024	0 entries
Uttar Pradesh	Navdeep Rinwa	since Aug 2023	0 entries
West Bengal	Neelam Meena	since May 2026	1 entry · 1 documented
Chief Secretary, West Bengal (from 11 May 2026); formerly Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal	Manoj Kumar Agarwal	Mar 2025 – May 2026	9 entries · 6 reported · 2 claims · 1 response

Also named in the recordJudges, ministers, opposition leaders and other officials quoted or cited, not office-holders at the Commission.Show all 55

Photo credits

Ashok Lavasa: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗
Rajiv Kumar: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗
Arun Goel: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗
Gyanesh Kumar: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗

People without a photo are shown with initials.

How they were chosen →← Every entry

← ECI Files

ECI FILES · PEOPLE

Who has run the Commission, who runs it now

9 commissioners since 2019, 3 serving today, one law that changed how they're chosen.

Who ran the Commission, 2019–today

9 commissioners · 3 serving now

Election CommissionerChief Election CommissionerServing today2023 Act in force (2 Jan 2024)

Sunil Arora

Ashok Lavasa

Sushil Chandra

Rajiv Kumar

Anup Chandra Pandey

Arun Goel

Gyanesh Kumar

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu

Vivek Joshi

Members in office

Tenures from each commissioner's profile entry. The 2023 Act moved selection to a committee of the Prime Minister, a minister he nominates and the Leader of Opposition. How they were chosen →

Show as a table

Every tenure segment on the chart above.
Name	Office	From	To
Sunil Arora	Chief Election Commissioner	before 2019	12 Apr 2021
Ashok Lavasa	Election Commissioner	before 2019	31 Aug 2020
Sushil Chandra	Election Commissioner	15 Feb 2019	12 Apr 2021
Sushil Chandra	Chief Election Commissioner	13 Apr 2021	14 May 2022
Rajiv Kumar	Election Commissioner	1 Sep 2020	14 May 2022
Rajiv Kumar	Chief Election Commissioner	15 May 2022	18 Feb 2025
Anup Chandra Pandey	Election Commissioner	9 Jun 2021	14 Feb 2024
Arun Goel	Election Commissioner	21 Nov 2022	9 Mar 2024
Gyanesh Kumar	Election Commissioner	15 Mar 2024	18 Feb 2025
Gyanesh Kumar	Chief Election Commissioner	19 Feb 2025	present
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu	Election Commissioner	15 Mar 2024	present
Vivek Joshi	Election Commissioner	19 Feb 2025	present

The Commission

Sunil AroraChief Election Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Ashok LavasaElection Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Sushil ChandraChief Election Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Rajiv KumarChief Election Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Anup Chandra PandeyElection Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Arun GoelElection Commissioner (former)

FORMER

Gyanesh KumarChief Election Commissioner

SERVING

Sukhbir Singh SandhuElection Commissioner

SERVING

Vivek JoshiElection Commissioner

SERVING

Senior officials at the Commission

Pawan Kumar SharmaSenior Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI

Maneesh GargSenior Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI

Gyanesh BhartiSenior Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI (until repatriation in Aug 2026)

Sanjay KumarDeputy Election Commissioner, ECI (electoral roll charge)

Nitesh Kumar VyasSenior Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI (as of 2023-24)

Seema KhannaDirector General (IT), Election Commission of India

Dharmendra SharmaSenior Deputy Election Commissioner and Director General, IIIDEM (as of Nov 2022)

Pawan DiwanSecretary, Election Commission of India

Pramod Kumar SharmaPrincipal Secretary, Election Commission of India

Subrata GuptaAdviser to the Chief Minister of West Bengal (from 9 May 2026); formerly ECI Special Roll Observer, West Bengal

State Chief Electoral Officers

Vinod Singh GunjiyalCEO, Bihar

Ashok KumarCEO, NCT of Delhi

Sanjay GoelCEO, Goa

A. SreenivasCEO, Haryana

V. AnbukumarCEO, Karnataka

Rathan U. KelkarCEO, Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala (from 23 May 2026); formerly Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala

S. ChockalingamCEO, Maharashtra

Archana PatnaikCEO, Tamil Nadu

Navdeep RinwaCEO, Uttar Pradesh

Neelam MeenaCEO, West Bengal

Manoj Kumar AgarwalCEO, Chief Secretary, West Bengal (from 11 May 2026); formerly Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal

Show as a table

State Chief Electoral Officers named in the record.
State	Name	In office	Entries
Bihar	Vinod Singh Gunjiyal	since Apr 2025	1 entry · 1 documented
NCT of Delhi	Ashok Kumar	since Feb 2026	1 entry · 1 response
Goa	Sanjay Goel	since Aug 2025	5 entries · 1 documented · 3 reported · 1 response
Haryana	A. Sreenivas	since Jun 2025	3 entries · 1 claim · 2 responses
Karnataka	V. Anbukumar	since Jul 2025	2 entries · 2 responses
Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala (from 23 May 2026); formerly Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala	Rathan U. Kelkar	—	3 entries · 1 reported · 1 claim · 1 response
Maharashtra	S. Chockalingam	since Mar 2024	2 entries · 2 responses
Tamil Nadu	Archana Patnaik	since Nov 2024	0 entries
Uttar Pradesh	Navdeep Rinwa	since Aug 2023	0 entries
West Bengal	Neelam Meena	since May 2026	1 entry · 1 documented
Chief Secretary, West Bengal (from 11 May 2026); formerly Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal	Manoj Kumar Agarwal	Mar 2025 – May 2026	9 entries · 6 reported · 2 claims · 1 response

Also named in the recordJudges, ministers, opposition leaders and other officials quoted or cited, not office-holders at the Commission.Show all 55

Photo credits

Ashok Lavasa: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗
Rajiv Kumar: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗
Arun Goel: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗
Gyanesh Kumar: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu: Photo: Press Information Bureau / Election Commission of India, via Wikimedia Commons. Government Open Data License – India (GODL). source ↗ licence ↗

People without a photo are shown with initials.

How they were chosen →← Every entry