Ball set rolling for ECs’ appointment by March 15

Even though there is confusion regarding the appointment of Election Commissioners, the appointment of the two new Election Commissioners will be announced by March 15, according to sources.

The posts in the Election Commission have become vacant after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the sudden resignation of Arun Goyal. It is being said that the Lok Sabha election programs will be announced only after the appointment of all the commissioners in the Election Commission.
Sources reveal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to call a meeting on March 15 to facilitate the selection of new election commissioners. The names of both the new commissioners will be announced during this time.

In fact, after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandepande on February 14, Rajiv Kumar is currently serving as the sole member of the Election Authority. The search for new election commissioners will be conducted by a search committee led by Home Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Secretary and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. According to sources, two separate panels of five names each will be made for both the vacant posts.

Subsequently, a selection committee chaired by the Prime Minister, including a Union minister and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, will finalize the appointment of two individuals as Election Commissioners. President Draupadi Murmu will issue appointment letters to the two names who will be finalized in this committee. Sources suggest that the selection committee may meet on March 13 or 14 and the appointments are expected to be finalized by March 15.

Recently enacted laws governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (EC) Under clause 2 of Article 324 of the Constitution, these posts are filled by the President on the basis of government recommendations, usually by the most Senior members play the role of CEC.
Regarding Arun Goyal’s sudden resignation, sources say that it is his personal decision. There was no difference of opinion between the two members of the Election Commission regarding their mutual work. However, Arun Goyal’s side has not yet come out openly in this regard. This much information has been received that Arun Goyal had health related problems during his stay in Kolkata and he had even called doctors at his hotel.

Arun Goyal, a 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Punjab cadre, joined the Election Commission in November 2022. With his tenure set to end on December 5, 2027, he was expected to take over the role of CEC after the retirement of current Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. However, now the circumstances have changed and the Election Commission is waiting for the appointment of two new Election Commissioners.