Tasks Before The New CEC

The Election Commission's reputation as an independent institution needs to be protected

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Jayesh Kumar takes over as the chief election commissioner (CEC) of India at a time when the authority and integrity of the Election Commission of India (ECI) has come under challenge. The outgoing CEC, Rajiv Kumar, on demitting office said that "losers" must not target ECI. He has a point — the commission's institutional integrity has been repeatedly questioned, particularly by the Congress, after the latter's electoral losses in the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections — but it must also be said the statutory body needs to do its bit to win back the trust of the Opposition and sceptics in civil society.