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In a shock move weeks before the Lok Sabha polls, Election Commissioner Arun Goel has resigned and his resignation has been accepted by the President. The Election Commission of India already had a vacancy and will now be left only with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
Sources had told NDTV earlier on Saturday that the Lok Sabha election dates are likely to be announced next week, and Mr Goel’s resignation has now put a question mark on that timeline.
Mr Goel, a 1985-batch IAS officer had taken voluntary retirement on November 18, 2022, and was appointed Election Commissioner a day later. His appointment had been challenged in the Supreme Court, which had asked the government what the “tearing hurry” was.
“Minister of Law picks up four names from the list of names shortlisted… The file was put up on November 18; moves the same day. Even PM recommends the name on the same day. We don’t want any confrontation, but was this done in any haste? What’s the tearing hurry,” the court had asked.
The petition was later dismissed by a two-judge bench last year, which noted that a Constitution Bench had examined the issue but had refused to cancel Mr Goel’s appointment. The Election Commissioner’s tenure was till 2027 and he was in line to replace Rajiv Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner after the latter’s retirement next year.
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