Newly appointed election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu officially assumed their roles as election commissioners on Friday, marking the inaugural appointments under the new legislation governing the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.
Their induction comes at a crucial juncture as the Election Commission gears up for the impending Lok Sabha elections. Rajiv Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner, extended a warm welcome to the newly appointed members, emphasizing their significance in the commission's preparations.
The vacancies emerged following the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14 and the unexpected resignation of Arun Goel on March 8. Kumar and Sandhu were selected by a panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the selection committee comprising PM Modi, Law Minister Arjun Meghwal, and the Leader of the Opposition.
Gyanesh Kumar, who retired as secretary of the cooperation ministry in February, and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a 1988 batch IAS officer who retired as chief secretary on January 31, 2024, were appointed as per the provisions outlined in the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
However, there have been dissenting voices regarding the selection process. Following the committee meeting, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, expressed disagreement with the government's choices for the election commissioner position.
Chowdhury raised concerns about potential shortcomings in the procedure, pointing out the absence of the Chief Justice of India in the decision-making process and questioning the government's modifications to the list of nominees presented to him. Despite these reservations, the appointments of Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu stand in effect, shaping the future trajectory of the Election Commission.
