Election Commissioner Arun Goel tendered his resignation on Saturday, just days prior to the anticipated announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Scheduled to serve until December 5, 2027, Goel was poised to ascend to the position of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) following the retirement of the incumbent, Rajiv Kumar, in February of the following year.
The acceptance of Goel's resignation by President Droupadi Murmu, effective immediately, was confirmed through a notification issued by the law ministry. The reason behind his decision to step down remains undisclosed at this time.
Having served as a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre prior to his retirement, Goel commenced his tenure with the Election Commission in November 2022.
With the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and Goel's recent resignation, the three-member Election Commission now stands reduced to only one member: CEC Rajiv Kumar.
Under the provisions of the new law governing the appointment of CEC and ECs, a search committee, chaired by the law minister and comprising two union secretaries, will compile a shortlist of five candidates. Subsequently, a selection committee, chaired by the Prime Minister and including a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM, along with the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha or the leader of the single-largest opposition party in the House, will select one candidate.
The final appointment of the chosen CEC or EC is then made by the President.
Ashok Lavasa's resignation as Election Commissioner in August 2020, citing dissent on various decisions pertaining to model code violations during the last Lok Sabha polls, underscores the significance of internal dynamics within the Election Commission.
Originally consisting of only a Chief Election Commissioner, the commission now comprises the CEC and two election commissioners.
The expansion of the commission to include two additional commissioners was first implemented on October 16, 1989, albeit for a brief tenure until January 1, 1990. Subsequently, on October 1, 1993, two additional election commissioners were appointed.
Since then, the operation of a multi-member EC, with decisions made by a majority vote, has been the norm.
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