New Delhi: In the wake of Election Commissioner Arun Goyal’s unexpected resignation, a pivotal meeting has been scheduled for March 15, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to discuss the appointment of new election commissioners. This meeting is set to take place at 6 pm and comes at a critical juncture, as the Election Commission prepares for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Election Commission is also slated to convene with the Lok Sabha Observer at 10:15 am tomorrow to guide election preparations. The sudden departure of Arun Goyal, who resigned just days before the anticipated announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule, has left a notable vacancy. President Draupadi Murmu accepted his resignation, which was formally announced by the Law Ministry.
Arun Goyal’s resignation, following a distinguished 35-year career marked by 40 different postings, has led to the necessity of filling two vacancies within the Election Commission. These vacancies arose from both Goyal’s resignation and the retirement of Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14.
To address these vacancies, a search committee headed by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will compile two separate lists, each containing five potential candidates for the positions. The committee, which includes the Home Secretary and the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT), will present these lists to a selection committee. The selection committee, led by Prime Minister Modi and comprising a Union minister and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, will then propose two individuals for the roles of Election Commissioners.
The final appointments are expected to be made by President Murmu, following the recommendations of the selection committee. Sources indicate that the selection committee may convene on March 13 or 14, depending on member availability, to finalize the appointments by March 15. This development comes at a time when the Election Commission is operating with a sole member, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, emphasizing the urgency of these appointments.
