Arun Goel’s tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become chief election commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February next year.
Days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Election Commissioner of India Arun Goel on Saturday resigned, sparking speculation behind the sudden move. President Droupadi Murmu officially accepted Mr Goel’s resignation, effective immediately, according to a law ministry notification. To subscribe please click tau.id/2iy6f and access our live channel.
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Who is Arun Goel?
Born in Patiala, Arun Goel did his MSc in Mathematics and was also awarded the Chancellors Medal of Excellence for being first class first and a record-breaker in all exams at Punjab University. is a retired IAS officer from Punjab Cadre of the 1985-batch; he became a part of the Election Commission of India in November, 2022.
He completed his post graduation from Churchill College, University of Cambridge in England in the subject Economics and was then trained at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA. Arun Goel had taken voluntary retirement in November, 2022 and a day later, he was appointed as the Election Commissioner.
What Exactly Happened
Mr Goel attributed his resignation to “personal reasons”, despite government efforts to dissuade him from stepping down. Speculation regarding health concerns was swiftly dismissed, with top officials stating that Mr Goel was in perfect health.
However, Election Commission sources added that there have been differences on file between Mr Goel and Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. The Election Commission of India, consisting of three members, already had a vacant position, and now, only Mr Kumar remains on the poll panel.
One notable move that preceded Mr Goel’s resignation was the enactment of a new law late last year, altering the process of appointing the country’s top election officers. Under the revised procedure, the Chief Justice of India was excluded from the selection process.
Who Reacted & How
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took to social media stating as, “Election Commission or Election OMISSION? India now has only one Election Commissioner, even as Lok Sabha elections are to be announced in few days. Why?”
Congress general secretary organisation KC Venugopal opinionated, “It is deeply concerning for the health of the world’s largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha elections.”
Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale expressed his concerns saying, “In a sudden move, Election Commissioner Arun Goel has abruptly resigned. The post of the other EC is vacant. That leaves the Election Commission now with just one Chief Election Commissioner.”
Questioning the shock move, Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress said on X, “Why does EC Arun Goel resign right after ECI’s poll review mtng in Kolkata where he left abruptly? Apparently disagreed with Delhi’s diktat on num of phases & excessive force deployment . Will now be replaced by hand picked yes man.”
What Will Happen Next?
The next step will be appointment of a new Election Commissioner for which a search committee will be constituted; it will be led by the Law Minister and will include two Union Secretaries.
Five names will be shortlisted by the search committee and then the Selection Committee will come into place; this will be led by the Prime Minister and will include a PM-nominated Union Cabinet Minister and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The Selection Committee will now select their final candidate and then that candidate will be formally appointed by the President of India.
Recent Updates
The meeting of PM-chaired committee on selection of election commissioners will be held on March 14, quoting sources to fill the vacant position left by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the shocking exit of Arun Goel.
The meeting earlier slated for 6:00pm on March 15 was reportedly moved to 12 noon on March 14 according to an amended communication to all panel members. According to the sources, the appointment of the election commissioners will also be done on the same day or the next.
A selection committee headed by hob’le PM and comprising a Union minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will name two persons for appointment as election commissioners before the official appointment by the President.
