CEC Gyanesh Kumar holds 'Inside India's Democracy' roundtable a day after taking over as IDEA Council chair for 2026

The development on Wednesday -- CEC Kumar assuming the Chairship -- marks a significant milestone, reflecting global recognition of the Election Commission of India (ECI) as one of the world’s most credible and innovative Election Management Bodies (EMBs). The Election Commission said the Chairship reflects the organisation's confidence in India, a founding member of International IDEA that has consistently contributed to the body’s governance, democratic discourse and institutional initiatives.

In his acceptance speech, CEC Kumar highlighted the sheer scale of India’s democratic exercise, noting that the country has over 900 million electors spread across 28 states and eight Union Territories. Reflecting on the 2024 General Elections, he said that India witnessed a "breathtaking democratic spectacle" in which more than 20,000 candidates from 743 political parties, including six national and 67 state parties, took part. Over 20 million election personnel, including more than one million Booth Level Officers and around five million polling staff, were engaged in the exercise.

He also pointed out that India has so far held 18 general elections to Parliament and more than 400 general elections to State Legislatures since independence in 1947, and underlined that India seeks to share with the world both the learnings of the largest, most diverse and inclusive modern democracy and the democratic values rooted in its civilisational heritage. According to a statement, affirming the direction ahead, CEC Kumar pledged that "India's Chairmanship will be decisive, ambitious and action-oriented".

"As Chair, CEC Gyanesh Kumar will steer the Council's work around India's overall theme for the Chairship -- 'Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world', and focus on two key pillars, namely -- Reimagining Democracy for the Future and Independent & Professional Election Management Bodies for Sustainable Democracy," the statement said. The CEC in India said that it takes pride in being elected Chair of the Council of Member States of International IDEA, an intergovernmental body of democratic nations.

"Every Indian feels honoured to see India in this prestigious position,” he said during his acceptance speech, adding that it reflects the confidence of the global democratic community in India’s electoral institutions. Expressing his gratitude on behalf of all citizens of India, CEC Gyanesh Kumar extended greetings to representatives of member states and formally accepted the Chairship. He said India’s democratic values, administrative experience and commitment to transparency would guide its role during the term.

"As the Chair, I assure you that during my tenure, with cooperation among all democratic nations, we will work together to further strengthen and enhance transparency in democracy and democratic processes across the world," he said, affirming that India will strive to ensure that "every vote counts" and "every voice matters" and that democracies worldwide become more inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable.

He also underscored India’s historic and civilisational association with democratic practices, describing the country as "the mother of democracy" and today the world's largest democracy. CEC Gyanesh Kumar concluded his address with "Jai Hind, Jai Bharat", signalling India's readiness to lead the Council's work in 2026. International IDEA announced India's election as Chair earlier this week following a meeting of the Council in Stockholm, where India assumed the role from Switzerland. Alongside India in the Chairship, Mauritius and Mexico will take over as the Vice Chairs of the International IDEA Council for the year 2026.

India has been a member of International IDEA since 2017. Its elevation to the Chairship for 2026 places it at the forefront of overseeing the organisation's democratic assistance frameworks, institutional priorities and collaborative engagements with member states in the coming year. International IDEA is mandated to promote democracy worldwide by providing comparative knowledge, assisting in democratic reforms and supporting electoral processes, the rule of law and political participation. The organisation currently consists of 35 member countries from all regions, including democracies in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Americas. The Chairship rotates annually among member states.