The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India heads the Election Commission of India (ECI), which is responsible for administering free and fair elections in the country. The position was established in 1950, and the CEC is appointed by the President of India. Below is the list of all Chief Election Commissioners of India since independence:
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List of Chief Election Commissioners of India (1950–Present)
| No. | Name | Tenure | Key Contributions |
| 1 | Sukumar Sen | 21 Mar 1950 – 19 Dec 1958 | First CEC; conducted India’s first general elections in 1951–52. |
| 2 | K.V.K. Sundaram | 20 Dec 1958 – 30 Sep 1967 | Oversaw elections during a period of political stability. |
| 3 | S.P. Sen Verma | 1 Oct 1967 – 30 Sep 1972 | Conducted elections during the late 1960s and early 1970s. |
| 4 | Dr. Nagendra Singh | 1 Oct 1972 – 6 Feb 1973 | Shortest-serving CEC; focused on electoral reforms. |
| 5 | T. Swaminathan | 7 Feb 1973 – 17 Jun 1977 | Conducted elections during the Emergency period. |
| 6 | S.L. Shakdhar | 18 Jun 1977 – 17 Jun 1982 | Oversaw the 1977 elections, which ended the Emergency. |
| 7 | R.K. Trivedi | 18 Jun 1982 – 31 Dec 1985 | Conducted elections during the 1980s, a period of political change. |
| 8 | R.V.S. Peri Sastri | 1 Jan 1986 – 25 Nov 1990 | Focused on voter education and awareness. |
| 9 | Smt. V.S. Ramadevi | 26 Nov 1990 – 11 Dec 1990 | First and only woman CEC; served for a very short tenure. |
| 10 | T.N. Seshan | 12 Dec 1990 – 11 Dec 1996 | Known for reforming the Election Commission and enforcing the Model Code of Conduct. |
| 11 | M.S. Gill | 12 Dec 1996 – 13 Jun 2001 | Introduced electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections. |
| 12 | J.M. Lyngdoh | 14 Jun 2001 – 7 Feb 2004 | Conducted elections with a focus on transparency and fairness. |
| 13 | T.S. Krishnamurthy | 8 Feb 2004 – 15 May 2005 | Oversaw the 2004 general elections. |
| 14 | B.B. Tandon | 16 May 2005 – 29 Jun 2006 | Focused on electoral reforms and voter registration. |
| 15 | N. Gopalaswami | 30 Jun 2006 – 20 Apr 2009 | Conducted the 2009 general elections. |
| 16 | Navin B. Chawla | 21 Apr 2009 – 29 Jul 2010 | Oversaw the implementation of EVMs and voter ID cards. |
| 17 | S.Y. Quraishi | 30 Jul 2010 – 10 Jun 2012 | Focused on voter awareness campaigns and inclusivity. |
| 18 | V.S. Sampath | 11 Jun 2012 – 15 Jan 2015 | Conducted the 2014 general elections, which saw a high voter turnout. |
| 19 | H.S. Brahma | 16 Jan 2015 – 18 Apr 2015 | Short tenure; focused on electoral reforms. |
| 20 | Nasim Zaidi | 19 Apr 2015 – 5 Jul 2017 | Oversaw the 2017 state elections and introduced VVPATs. |
| 21 | Achal Kumar Joti | 6 Jul 2017 – 22 Jan 2018 | Conducted elections with a focus on transparency and technology. |
| 22 | Om Prakash Rawat | 23 Jan 2018 – 1 Dec 2018 | Focused on voter education and EVM security. |
| 23 | Sunil Arora | 2 Dec 2018 – 12 Apr 2021 | Conducted the 2019 general elections and state elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 24 | Sushil Chandra | 13 Apr 2021 – 14 May 2022 | Oversaw elections during the pandemic and introduced electoral reforms. |
| 25 | Rajiv Kumar | 15 May 2022 – Present | Current CEC; focusing on voter inclusivity, technology, and electoral integrity. |
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Key Highlights
1. First CEC: Sukumar Sen (1950–1958) conducted India’s first general elections.
2. Longest Tenure: T.N. Seshan (1990–1996) is remembered for transforming the Election Commission into a powerful and independent body.
3. Only Woman CEC: V.S. Ramadevi (1990), though her tenure was very short.
4. Technological Reforms: M.S. Gill introduced EVMs, and Nasim Zaidi introduced VVPATs.
5. Current CEC: Rajiv Kumar (since 15 May 2022).
