- By Vivek Raj
- Sat, 09 Mar 2024 11:42 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a surprising development just weeks before the Lok Sabha polls, Election Commissioner Arun Goel has tendered his resignation, which has been accepted by the President of India. With Goel's resignation, the Election Commission of India now faces a vacancy, leaving only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on the panel.
The resignation of Arun Goel comes at a crucial juncture when the three-member Commission was already down to two members following the retirement of Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey in February.
The opposition parties have expressed their concerns about this unusual development coming ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal termed Goel's resignation ahead of the Lok Sabha elections deeply concerning.
“It is deeply concerning for the health of the world’s largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr. Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha elections,” Venugopal wrote on X.
He criticised the lack of transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission, stressing the importance of maintaining impartiality in constitutional institutions like the ECI.
It is deeply concerning for the health of the world’s largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr. Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha elections.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) March 9, 2024
There is absolutely no transparency in how a constitutional institution like the ECI has been functioning and the…
“There is absolutely no transparency in how a constitutional institution like the ECI has been functioning and the manner in which the government pressurises them,” he added. Venugopal also highlighted the previous dissent by former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa during the 2019 elections.
Trinamool MP Saket Gokhale echoed similar concerns, describing Goel's resignation as "very very concerning." He raised alarms over a new law allowing the appointment of Election Commissioners with a majority vote from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and one chosen minister. Gokhale warned that Modi's potential appointment of two out of three Election Commissioners could jeopardise the electoral process's integrity.
"Modi Govt has introduced a new law where Election Commissioners will now be appointed with a majority vote of PM Modi & 1 Minister chosen by him. Ergo, before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Modi will now appoint 2 out of the 3 Election Commissioners after today’s resignation. This is VERY VERY concerning," Saket posted on X.
Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge joined the chorus of opposition, demanding a reasonable explanation from the BJP government regarding Arun Goel's resignation. Kharge highlighted the precarious situation of having only one Election Commissioner as the country approaches the announcement of Lok Sabha elections.
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“As I have said earlier, if we do NOT stop the systematic decimation of our independent institutions, our DEMOCRACY shall be usurped by DICTATORSHIP ! ECI will now be among the last Constitutional institutions to fall. Modi Govt must answer these questions and come out with a reasonable explanation,” Kharge said.