India election commissioner quits weeks before national polls
- Arun Goel had tenure until December 5, 2027. No reason was given for his resignation, with the development causing concern among the opposition
- With his departure, the poll panel is now down to just its chief, Rajiv Kumar. The other member, Anup Chandra Pandey, retired last month
India’s election commissioner Arun Goel has resigned, just weeks before crucial national polls, sparking allegations of a lack of transparency in the country’s constitutional body.
India’s President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Goel with effect from March 9, 2024, a law ministry notification said, without specifying the reason for him stepping down.
Goel had tenure until December 5, 2027, and was next in line to become the chief election commissioner in February next year.
With Goel’s departure, the poll panel – a constitutional body comprising three members – is now down to just its chief, Rajiv Kumar. The other member, Anup Chandra Pandey, retired last month.
A spokesperson for the election commission could not be reached for comment.
Coming days before the expected announcement of the election schedule, the development has caused concern among the opposition.
Lawmaker Saket Gokhale, the national spokesperson of opposition party All India Trinamool Congress, said in a social media post on X that the vacancies in the poll panel were a cause of concern.