As the Lok Sabha polls draw near, and following the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Gorl, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is now poised to appoint two new election commissioners by March 15, filling the vacancies left by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the surprise resignation of Arun Goel, sources familiar with the development informed.
Goel's resignation, tendered on Friday and accepted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday, came as a significant development just days before the anticipated announcement of the election schedule.
With his departure, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar now stands as the sole member of the poll authority.
Pandey had stepped down on February 14 upon reaching the age of 65, creating an additional vacancy in the commission.
A search committee led by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, along with the Home Secretary and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Secretary, will compile two separate panels of five names each for the vacant posts.
These panels will then be considered by a selection committee chaired by the Prime Minister and including a Union minister and the Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, to select two individuals for appointment as election commissioners.
Sources indicate that the selection committee may convene either on March 13 or 14, with appointments expected to be finalised by March 15.
Before the enactment of a new law governing the appointment of Chief Election Commissioners (CEC) and Election Commissioners (EC), these appointments were made by the President upon the government's recommendation, typically appointing the senior-most member as the CEC.
Dismissing speculation about the reasons behind Goel's resignation, sources cited personal reasons and refuted claims of discord between Goel and Kumar, asserting that internal records demonstrate consensus on decisions within the commission.
Goel, a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, assumed office in November 2022 with a tenure extending until December 5, 2027. His resignation precludes his expected elevation to the position of CEC upon Kumar's retirement next year.
The concept of a multi-member EC has been in operation since October 1, 1993, with decisions made by majority vote among the CEC and additional commissioners.
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