Arun Goel quits as Election Commissioner weeks before Lok Sabha elections

His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February next year.

New Delhi: In a surprise move just days ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha polls, Election Commissioner Arun Goel on Saturday resigned from the post, leaving the poll body with just one member.

The resignation of Goel, whose tenure was till December 2027, has been accepted by President Droupadi Murmu on March 9, a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice said. The reason for Goel's departure could not be known immediately and he could not be contacted for his comments.

He is the second Election Commissioner after Ashok Lavasa, who later joined Asian Development Bank, to resign in less than four years. 

Goel’s resignation also comes two days ahead of the Supreme Court's hearing of a plea by SBI seeking more time to furnish details on electoral bonds to the EC and a contempt petition against it. From Monday onwards, the EC is to visit Jammu and Kashmir to review Lok Sabha poll preparations.

Goel, a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, had joined the EC in November 2022 and the Supreme Court had upheld his appointment though it has said that the file had moved in “lightning speed” after he took VRS from service.

With this, the EC has now been left with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar only. Another Commissioner Arun Pandey had retired on February 14 and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel has not met since then to choose a replacement.

The Opposition was “deeply concerned” at the resignation that was coming on the eve of general elections.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said it was “deeply concerned about the health of the world’s largest democracy” while claiming that there is “absolutely no transparency in how a constitutional institution like the EC has been functioning and the manner in which the government pressurises them”. 

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury told DH that the resignation on the eve of elections is “very concerning”, as resignations from the poll panel is a rarity. “Under the Narendra Modi government, this is the second Election Commissioner (after Ashok Lavasa) who is resigning,” he said. 

“Lavasa had dissented against a clean chit to Modi for violating the Model Code of Conduct but he faced relentless inquiries. This attitude shows the regime is hellbent on destroying democratic traditions,” Venugopal added. 

While the law mandates that there should be a CEC and two ECs, vacancies will not impact the working of the Commission. From February 14 till Saturday, Kumar and Goel  were conducting visits to states for Lok Sabha elections.

Under the new law passed recently, a panel headed by the Prime Minister, Law Minister and the Leader of Opposition or largest opposition party in Lok Sabha will select the CEC or EC. It is to be seen whether the government will go ahead calling a meeting of the panel to select Election Commissioners.

The Election Commission has also not commented on the resignation and the future course of action for announcing the schedule for Lok Sabha elections.

In 2009, N Gopalaswami had retired as Chief Election Commissioner in the midst of Lok Sabha elections following which Naveen Chawla took over as the head of the poll body.