Election commissioners to be appointed by March 15, PM Modi to chair meet

Goel, who tendered resignation on Friday morning, did not attend the crucial meeting between the EC and top home ministry and railway officials to firm up deployment and movement of central forces across India for poll duty.

Two election commissioners are expected to be appointed by March 15 to replace vacancies left by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the shock resignation of Arun Goel ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, officials said on March 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be chairing the meeting on March 15 to announce the new election commissioner.

Goel's resignation came days before the poll panel was set to declare the Lok Sabha election schedule. President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation on Saturday, and the Law Ministry issued a statement announcing the same. Pandey had already demitted office on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years, leaving Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the sole member of the polling authority.

A search committee under Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal comprising the Home Secretary and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Secretary will first prepare two separate panels of five names each for the two posts.

Later, a selection committee headed by the prime minister and comprising a Union minister and Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will then name two persons for appointment as election commissioners. The election commissioners will be appointed by the President.

News agency PTI quoted sources as saying that the selection committee could meet either on March 13 or 14 depending on the convenience of the members and the appointments are likely to be made by March 15.

Before a new law on the appointment of CEC and ECs came into force recently, the election commissioners were appointed by the President on the government’s recommendation and as per custom, the senior-most was appointed as CEC.

(With inputs from PTI)