National Desk, 11th March: In the aftermath of Arun Goel’s resignation as Election Commissioner, a petition has been lodged in the Supreme Court urging restraint on the Union Government from appointing a new EC under the revised Election Commissioners Act.
The plea submitted to the Supreme Court seeks to bar the government from naming a Chief Election Commissioner and other ECs in accordance with Section 7 and 8 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Terms of Office) Act 2023.
The unexpected resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel, announced on Saturday, has left a void in the poll panel, exacerbating existing vacancies. President Droupadi Murmu accepted Goel’s resignation, leaving the Election Commission of India with only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, whose tenure extends until 2027.
A retired Punjab cadre IAS officer, Arun Goel assumed the role of Election Commissioner in November 2022. However, his appointment had faced scrutiny from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an independent electoral watchdog, which contested it before the Supreme Court.
Read More: Assam Cabinet Approves Development Council for ‘Maimal’ Community and Other Key Initiatives