Gyanesh Kumar takes charge as head of International IDEA council

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday (December 3, 2025) assumed charge as Chairman of the Council of Member States of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for 2026.

In his acceptance speech at Stockholm, Sweden, Mr. Kumar highlighted the scale of India’s democratic exercise, noting that the country has over 900 million electors across 28 States and eight Union Territories.

In the 2024 General Election, India witnessed a breathtaking democratic spectacle in which over 20,000 candidates from 743 political parties, including six national and 67 State parties, participated. Over 20 million election personnel, including over a million Booth-Level Officers and five million polling staff were engaged in the exercise, he said.

Stating that, since Independence in 1947, the country has witnessed 18 General Elections to Parliament, and over 400 elections to State Legislatures, the CEC said that India sought to share with all not only the learnings of the world’s largest, and most diverse and inclusive modern democracy, but also the democratic values and principles deeply enshrined in India’s civilisational heritage.

India’s chairmanship of the International IDEA council would be decisive, ambitious, and action-oriented, he said. India will endeavour to ensure that every vote counts, every voice matters, and that democracies worldwide become more inclusive, peaceful, resilient, and sustainable.

The chairmanship marks a significant milestone, reflecting global recognition of the Election Commission of India (EC) as one of the world’s most credible and innovative election management bodies, the EC said in an official statement.

India is a founding member of International IDEA.

As Chair, Mr. Kumar will steer the council’s work around India’s overall theme for the chairmanship, ‘Democracy for inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world’, and focus on two key pillars, namely, reimagining democracy for the future, and independent and professional election management bodies for sustainable democracy.

The Indian Ambassador to Sweden Anurag Bhushan was present on the occasion.

The CEC held a discussion with the Secretary-General of International IDEA, Kevin Casas-Zamora.