ECI welcomes newly appointed election commissioners

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar warmly greeted the two newly-appointed Election Commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, as they officially assumed their roles within the Commission on Friday, according to a spokesperson of the electoral body.

In a statement posted on X, a spokesperson stated, “CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar welcomed the two newly-appointed Election Commissioners, Shri Gyanesh Kumar & Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu who joined the Commission today”.

Their appointments came following deliberations by the selection panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, expressed dissent regarding the government’s nominees for the position of Election Commissioner.

The selection committee, comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Arjun Meghwal, and Leader of Opposition, convened earlier to consider candidates for the vacant positions of election commissioner.

Following the committee’s meeting, Chowdhury voiced concerns about the selection process, stating, “They (government) have the majority… the procedure that is being followed has some lacunae”.

Gyanesh Kumar, who retired as secretary of the cooperation ministry in February, and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, former Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand, were the nominees appointed to the position of election commissioners.

Sandhu, a 1988 batch IAS officer, concluded his tenure as Chief Secretary on January 31, 2024.

On December 12, the Rajya Sabha passed a bill aimed at regulating the appointment and service terms of Chief Election Commissioners and election commissioners, replacing the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991.

Under the new legislation, the President will appoint the CEC and ECs upon the recommendation of a Selection Committee, comprising the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition or leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.

The primary responsibility before the newly appointed election commissioners will be to ensure the successful conduct of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, scheduled to be held in April-May this year.