New Delhi, March 9, 2024: As the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 loom large on the horizon, Election Commissioner Arun Goel has tendered his resignation, creating a significant void in the Election Commission of India (ECI). The development was confirmed by a government notification released on Saturday, indicating that Goel’s resignation has been accepted by the President.
The resignation, effective from March 9, 2024, has left Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the sole occupant in the saddle, marking a departure from the usual multi-member structure of the ECI. In accordance with the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the President formally accepted Goel’s resignation, as stated in an official statement from the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Arun Goel, a former bureaucrat and a member of the Punjab cadre of the 1985 batch, assumed the role of Election Commissioner in 2022. He worked alongside Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey. The sudden resignation now not only raises questions about the timing but also leaves the ECI with multiple vacancies, casting a shadow on its preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The political landscape is bound to be affected by the reshuffling within the ECI, as it plays a crucial role in overseeing the democratic process and ensuring free and fair elections. With the government yet to announce the process for filling the vacancies, all eyes will be on the President’s decision and the subsequent appointments to restore the commission to its intended strength.