New Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu to Assume Office Today

Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have officially assumed their roles as New Election Commissioners, starting their duties today. Their appointment by a committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes amid preparations for the elections and a Supreme Court hearing on the selection process.

Due to Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement in February and Arun Goel's unexpected resignation just days before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, there were vacancies in the Election Commission, necessitating the need for these appointments.

Welcoming the new commissioners, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar expressed the significance of their joining, especially as the Election Commission gears up to oversee the General Election 2024. He emphasised that the ECI team is prepared for the busy weeks ahead. Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will play crucial roles in this process.

The Election Commission of India is expected to announce the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls for April-May very soon. With their appointments, Kumar and Sandhu will be joining the commission to assist in conducting these crucial elections.

It's worth noting that these appointments come on the eve of the Supreme Court hearing petitions challenging the selection process for Election Commission officials.

As per the current procedure, a search committee led by the Union Law Minister compiles a shortlist of candidates. Following this, a selection panel headed by the Prime Minister and including the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and a Union Minister makes the final appointments.

Last year, the Supreme Court mandated that the Prime Minister-led panel must include the Chief Justice of India. However, later on, the Union Government introduced a law to substitute the Chief Justice with a Union Minister in this panel, affecting the process of New Election Commissioners appointments.