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New Election Commissioners Appointed Amid Controversy

Kalyani Jha
14 Mar, 2024

President Droupadi Murmu recently appointed retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners, filling two vacancies in the Election Commission after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the sudden resignation of Arun Goel. The appointments come amidst speculation and controversy surrounding the selection process.

The appointments were made based on the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act, 2023. Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, will eventually replace Rajiv Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025.

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a 1998-batch IAS officer from the Uttarakhand cadre, has extensive experience, having served as the chief secretary of Uttarakhand during Pushkar Singh Dhami's tenure as Chief Minister.

The selection process for the new Election Commissioners has faced criticism, particularly regarding the composition of the selection panel. The Supreme Court had previously ruled that the Chief Justice of India must be a member of the panel. However, the Union government later amended the law to replace the Chief Justice with a Union Minister.

Opposition leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised concerns about the procedure followed in the selection process, alleging that the names of six shortlisted candidates were shared with him just minutes before the meeting started. The other candidates considered were Utpal Kumar Singh, Pradip Kumar Tripathi, Indevar Pandey, and Sudhir Kumar Gangadhar Rahate, all former IAS officers.

The appointments come at a crucial time as the Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls soon. The controversy surrounding the selection process adds an additional layer of scrutiny to the functioning of the Election Commission as it prepares for the electoral process.