Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led high-powered panel is scheduled to meet on March 15 to finalize the names of new election commissioners, according to the sources, news agency PTI reported. The resignation of Arun Goel and the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey created two openings for election commissioners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the key panel, which includes a Union minister, and the Congress Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. It will convene on March 15 to decide the names for the new election commissioners.
President Droupadi Murmu will appoint the election commissioners.
According to the sources, two new election commissioners will be appointed by March 15 to cover the gaps left by Pandey's retirement and Goel's surprising resignation.
They stated that the meeting notification was sent on Saturday afternoon, but Goel's resignation was notified in the evening.
According to the sources, the appointment of the two election commissioners are expected to be made during the meeting, as opposed to one as previously planned, PTI reported.
According to the sources, the March 15 notification pertains to the committee's postponed meeting, which was scheduled for March 7 to replace the vacancy left by Pandey's retirement on February 14 at the age of 65.
Goel resigned on Friday morning, days before the poll panel was set to declare the Lok Sabha election schedule. President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation on Saturday, and the Union Law Ministry issued a statement announcing it.
This leaves Rajiv Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner, as the only member of the election panel.
How Two New Election Commissioners Will Be Appointed
A search committee chaired by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and consisting of the Home Secretary and the Department of Personnel and Training Secretary would initially create two separate panels of five names for the two positions.
Later, the prime minister's selection committee will pick two candidates to be appointed as election commissioners.
According to sources, the selection committee might convene on March 13 or 14, depending on the members' schedules, and selections would most likely be made by March 15.