New Delhi, March 14: Sources close to the recent development have disclosed that Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu are set to be appointed as the new Election Commissioners.
Following a meeting on March 14, the three-member committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Sandhu for the roles of election commissioners. This information was relayed to the media by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after the panel's session.
The decision to appoint new commissioners comes shortly after the surprising resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel, just ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
These appointments mark the first selections made by the panel since its reconstitution, aligning with the new law that governs the appointment of election commissioners.
Under the revised structure, the selection panel comprises the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition, and a designated Union Cabinet minister. Notably, the Chief Justice of India is no longer part of the panel.
The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which came into effect in late December, supersedes a previous Supreme Court ruling on the appointment of ECs.
Confirming the appointments, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, who attended the meeting, stated, "In this committee, the government holds the majority... One Mr. Kumar from Kerala and one Mr. B. Sandhu from Punjab have been selected as Election Commissioners."
PM Modi-Led Panel Set to Choose New Election Commissioners for Lok Sabha Polls"
