Two Election Commissioners Likely to be Appointed by March 15: Sources

New Delhi: Quoting sources, a report by PTI said that two election commissioners are likely to be appointed by March 15 to fill vacancies left by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the sudden resignation of Arun Goel. Ahead of the expected announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, Election Commissioner Arun Goel tendered his resignation on Friday morning. On Saturday, his resignation was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu, leaving Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the only member of the poll authority. 

As for the selection of the new election commissioners to fill these vacancies, a search committee under Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, comprising the Home Secretary and the Department of Personnel and Training Secretary, will prepare two separate panels of five names each for the two posts.  

Later, a selection committee headed by the prime minister and comprising a Union minister and Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will then name two persons for appointment as election commissioners.

The election commissioners will be appointed by the President.

Sources said the selection committee could meet either on March 13 or 14 depending on the convenience of the members and the appointments are likely to be made by March 15.

Before a new law on the appointment of CEC and ECs came into force recently, the election commissioners were appointed by the President on the government's recommendation and as per custom, the senior-most was appointed as CEC.

Clause 2 of Article 324 of the Constitution states that the Election Commission shall consist of the Chief Election Commissioner and such number of other Election Commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time fix.

Responding to questions on reasons behind Goel's resignation, the sources said he might have resigned due to personal reasons.

They also rejected suggestions that there were differences between Goel and Kumar, saying records of internal communication, minutes and decisions show there was no dissent recorded by Goel.

Goel, who tendered resignation on Friday morning, did not attend the crucial meeting between the EC and top home ministry and railway officials to firm up deployment and movement of central forces across India for poll duty.

Goel was a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. He had joined the Election Commission in November 2022. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February next year.

Ashok Lavasa had resigned as election commissioner in August 2020. He had given dissent notes on various model code violation decisions taken by the EC in the last Lok Sabha polls.

Originally, the commission had only a CEC. It currently consists of the CEC and two election commissioners.

Two additional commissioners were first appointed on October 16, 1989, but they had a very short tenure till January 1, 1990. Later, on October 1, 1993, two additional election commissioners were appointed.

The concept of a multi-member EC has been in operation since then, with decisions made by a majority vote.