New Delhi:

A three-member panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet at noon to hold discussions on candidates for two vacant posts on the top panel of the Election Commission of India. The panel comprises the Prime Minister, a Union Minister and Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The Union Minister who will attend the meeting is Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, it is learnt.

The meeting comes days after Election Commissioner Arun Goel stepped down, leaving just Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on the three-member panel. Another Election Commissioner, Anup Chandra Pandey, retired last month. This is critical as Lok Sabha polls are approaching, and the poll body is set to announce dates for the election.

Mr Goel’s resignation has sparked a massive row, with the Opposition accusing the government of “systematic decimation of independent institutions”.

Sources have said Mr Goel had cited “personal reasons” for his decision. They added that there may have been some differences between him and the Chief Election Commissioner.

The Prime Minister-led panel’s meeting is being held at a time when multiple petitions have challenged in the Supreme Court the process to appoint top poll officers. The court has said it will hear these tomorrow.

Last year, a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had ruled that top poll officials must be appointed on the recommendation of a committee comprising the Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.

Months later, the Centre brought the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. This legislation, which cleared the Parliament, dropped the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel. Instead, a Union Minister was put on it. This gave the Executive more heft on the panel.

The petitioners, including Association for Democratic Reforms and Congress leader Jaya Thakur, have challenged this move of the government.

The three-member Election Commission, at the moment, has just one active member: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. Reason: the shock resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel on Saturday coupled with another vacancy (retirement of Anup Pandey in February).

The resignation, which has been accepted by the President, comes weeks before the Lok Sabha elections.

The Lok Sabha polls are to be held in April-May. The dates were expected to be announced sometime next week, sources had told NDTV.

It is not clear what was the provocation behind Mr Goel’s shock resignation. Mr Goel, 61, had a tenure until 2027 and was in line to replace Rajiv Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner after the latter’s retirement next year.

Mr Goel, a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, had joined the Election Commission in November 2022.

Sources have indicated there have been differences on various issues and it would be best for the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar to explain. Top officials said Mr Goel cited personal reasons while resigning.

“The government will start the process of appointing other election commissioners,” said an official.

Late last year, the Centre enacted a law that excluded the Chief Justice of India from the process to appoint the country’s top election officers. The top poll officers are now to be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.

Before that a search committee, consisting of the law minister and two secretaries will have to short list five names for the selection committee headed by the Prime Minister to chose from.

The top poll body was set to visit Jammu and Kashmir from Monday to Wednesday to assess when polls can be held in the Union Territory, sources had told NDTV. Sources added that the Lok Sabha poll dates were to be announced right after the completion of J&K visit.

New Delhi:

Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned this evening weeks before the Lok Sabha polls. Mr Goel, the second-highest official in the Election Commission, cited “personal reasons” in his letter while resigning, sources told NDTV. The government tried to persuade him not to resign but he insisted, they said, adding the process of appointing other election commissioners will start soon.

Here are five facts about Arun Goel:

1. Arun Goel, a retired bureaucrat, was a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre.
2. He took over as Election Commissioner in November 2022. He had taken voluntary retirement on November 18 and was appointed Election Commissioner a day later. He took charge on November 21.
3. Mr Goel was in line to be the next Chief Election Commissioner after the end of incumbent Rajiv Kumar ‘s office in February 2025.
4. The 61-year-old’s tenure was till December 2027.
5. Following the retirement of Anup Pandey in February and Mr Goel’s resignation, the three-member Election Commission panel has now only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.