Election Commissioner Arun Goel Resigns Weeks Before Lok Sabha Polls

Even before Mr Goel’s resignation, there were concerns that the Lok Sabha polls were being held with only him and Rajiv Kumar in the core body of the Election Commission of India instead of a three-member panel. The other Election Commissioner, Anup Pandey, had retired last month.

Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale has termed Mr Goel’s resignation “very very concerning” and pointed out that the panel to pick Election Commissioners now consists of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

“In a sudden move, Election Commissioner Arun Goel has abruptly resigned. The post of the other EC is vacant… Modi Govt has introduced a new law where Election Commissioners will now be appointed with a majority vote of PM Modi & 1 Minister chosen by him. Ergo, before 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Modi will now appoint 2 out of the 3 Election Commissioners after today’s resignation,” he posted on X.

Congress leader KC Venugopal also called the resignation deeply concerning and claimed that “there is absolutely no transparency” in how the Election Commission has been functioning.

Appointment Process

In a landmark ruling in March last year, the Supreme Court had directed that Election Commissioners would be appointed by a panel consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. The bench also stated that the order would stay in force until a law was made by Parliament.

The ruling had come in response to petitions seeking a collegium-like system for the appointment of Election Commissioners to ensure transparency. The petitioners had argued that the earlier system, wherein the President appointed the Chief Election Commissioner and two Commissioners for six years on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, was driven by the “whims and fancies of the executive”.

In December, however, the Parliament passed a Bill to replace the Chief Justice of India in the panel with a Union Cabinet minister. The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, was passed at a time when an unprecedented number of opposition MPs had been suspended.

Several leaders had alleged that the Bill compromised the autonomy of the Election Commission and, therefore, went against the spirit of the Supreme Court judgment. It received the President’s assent and the court has also refused to stay the law so far