Lok Sabha Election 2024: Election Commissioner Arun Goel Resigns Abruptly, Leaving Panel with One Member, Here's All About It

Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned just days before the anticipated announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

President Droupadi Murmu has officially accepted Goel's resignation, effective immediately, according to a report from NDTV.

As per the same report, Goel attributed his resignation to "personal reasons," despite government efforts to dissuade him from stepping down.

Speculation regarding health concerns was dismissed, with officials stating that Goel was in perfect health.

Election Commission sources added that there have been differences on file between Goel and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar.

The Election Commission of India, consisting of three members, now only has Kumar remaining on the poll panel, as there was already a vacant position before Goel's resignation.

A retired bureaucrat, Goel, a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, joined the Election Commission in November 2022.

The unexpected departure of Goel has cast doubt on the previously anticipated timeline for announcing the Lok Sabha election dates, which are likely to be announced next week.

The appointment process for a new CEC involves a search committee, led by the law minister and including two union secretaries, shortlisting five names.

Subsequently, a selection committee headed by the Prime Minister, and comprising a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, or the leader of the single-largest opposition party, selects the final candidate. The President then formally appoints the chosen CEC or EC.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took to social media to question the implications of Goel's sudden departure. He asked whether the current state of affairs warranted renaming the Election Commission to "Election OMISSION."