PM Modi-Led Panel Selects Former IAS Officers Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu As The New Election Commissioners

In a latest development, a high-level committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners on Thursday (14 March).

The vacancies arose following the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and the unexpected resignation of Arun Goel last Saturday (9 March).

Consequently, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar became the sole member of the election authority.

However, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is the Opposition member in the panel, expressed dissent over the process followed.

He raised concerns that the short-listed names of officers were not provided to him in advance.

Chowdhury stated that he had requested a shortlist before the meeting to review all the candidates but was only given the names of 212 officers by the government the day before the meeting.

It's important to note that the selection panel is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has a Union minister and the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as its members.

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