Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, both former IAS officers, have been appointed as election commissioners ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, as announced by the law ministry through a notification on Thursday.
A selection committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, convened earlier in the day to recommend their names for the vacancies in the Election Commission (EC) left by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14 and the sudden resignation of Arun Goel on March 8.
The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar heads the poll panel. Kumar and Sandhu, both 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers from Kerala and Uttarakhand cadres respectively, are expected to take office on Friday.
The 2024 general elections for the Lok Sabha, alongside four state assemblies, are anticipated in April-May, with indications suggesting that the EC might announce the polls as early as this Friday.
During the selection panel meeting, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised objections over the procedure adopted for choosing the election commissioners, providing a dissent note. The selection committee comprises Union Home Minister Amit Shah, nominated by the government, and the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha.
Gyanesh Kumar, known for overseeing the abrogation of Article 370 during his tenure in the home ministry, has a remarkable track record. He played a crucial role in the successful evacuation of Indian nationals, including 46 nurses stranded in war-torn Iraq, while serving as the resident commissioner of Kerala in Delhi. An alumnus of IIT-Kanpur and Harvard University, Kumar holds a postgraduate degree in economics.
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a former chief secretary of Uttarakhand, has a diverse portfolio. He spearheaded initiatives such as ideating the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the state and actively contributed to the reconstruction efforts of the Kedarnath temple premises. Sandhu, a graduate from Amritsar Medical College and Guru Nanak Dev University, brings extensive administrative experience, having served as chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and additional secretary in higher education.
Sandhu's contributions extend to academic research, with published papers on 'Urban Reforms' and 'Municipal Management and Capacity Building'. His distinguished service was recognized with the President's Medal during his tenure as commissioner of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, Punjab.
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