New Delhi: After the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel (Retd IAS: 1985: PB), a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court of India to restrain the Centre from appointing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners (ECs). Goel was next in line to become CEC as incumbent CEC Rajiv Kumar (Retd IAS: 1984: JH) is set to retire in February 2025.
The plea cites Section 7 and 8 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and terms of office Act 2023, with the plea. It also seeks direction to appoint member of election commission as per Arup Baranwal judgment.
The resignation of Goel leaves Rajiv Kumar as the sole election commissioner in India before the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The two election commissioners are expected to be appointed this week. A high-level selection committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a Union Minister and Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, is likely to meet for the purpose on March 14.
In December 2023, the President approved a new law for the appointment of Election Commissioners last year. The panel responsible for selecting CEC and ECs includes the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition, and a Union Cabinet minister.
In March 2023, the Supreme Court had ruled that the appointment of CECs and ECs should be done by the President on the advice of a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India. However, in January 2024, the Apex Court refused to stay the operation of the new law. This meant that the appointment of CECs and ECs will now be done through the panel as per the new law.