Leader of Opposition gives a dissent note
Acting as fast as the situation had changed in the Election Commission after the sudden resignation of Arun Goyal, the Central government on Thursday announced the names of new Election Commissioners.
The law ministry issued a notification announcing the appointments.
‘The Daily Guardian’ had reported told that the appointment of Election Commission members would be done between March 13 and March 15.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, member of the panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, told the media on Thursday that retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu have been appointed as the new election commissioners.
Congress leader and LoP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury gave a dissent note, raising questions over the procedure adopted to choose the election commissioners.
He said six names were shortlisted before the panel for the selection of two Election Commissioners.
However, he said the Chief Justice of India should have been part of the selection panel and there is no clarity on how six names were shortlisted from over 200 candidates who are said to have been nominated for the post.
The six shortlisted names—all former bureaucrats — were Pradeep Kumar Tripathi, Gyanesh Kumar, Indivar Pandey, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Sudhir Kumar Gangadhar Rahate.
Earlier, a source close to the Election Commission had revealed that two Election Commissioners are likely to be appointed by March 15 to fill the vacancies created by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the surprise resignation of Arun Goyal.
He had said that a ‘revised communique’ was sent to all the panel members ahead of the meeting. This meeting was earlier scheduled for 6 pm on March 15, but in view of the circumstances it was hastened.
Goyal had resigned last week, days before the Election Commission was expected to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections.
President Draupadi Murmu accepted his resignation on Saturday and the Union Law Ministry issued a notification announcing it. Following the move, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar became the sole member of the election body. Earlier, another EC Ashok Lavasa had resigned from the post of Election Commissioner in August 2020.
He is believed to have expressed his disagreement over various Model Code of Conduct violation decisions taken by the Election Commission during the last Lok Sabha elections.
After the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey on 14 February and the sudden resignation of Arun Goyal, Rajiv Kumar was left alone as the Chief Election Commission in the Election Commission.
However, now after the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu, the quorum of the Election Commission has been completed. There is a possibility that the announcement of Lok Sabha elections may also be issued in a day or two.