PM chaired committee to appoint 2 election commissioners by March 15

New Delhi: Following the resignation of the election commissioner Arun Goel, as well as the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey, the Centre will appoint new officers to the vacancies on March 15, PTI reported.

A Prime minister-chaired high-powered committee will meet on March 15 to finalise the names of new election commissioners.

Besides the PM, the panel include a Union minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, as members.

The election commissioners will be appointed by the president.

The sources said the appointment of two new election commissioners is likely to be made by March 15 to fill the vacancies created by Pandey's retirement and Goel's surprise resignation.

They said the notice for the meeting was sent on Saturday afternoon, while Goel's resignation was notified in the evening.

The sources added that during the meeting, two appointments of election commissioners are likely to be made against one, as anticipated earlier.

The March 15 notice, the sources said, refers to the postponed meeting of the committee that was to be held on March 7 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Pandey, who demitted office on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years.

Days before the poll panel is expected to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, Goel resigned on Friday morning. His resignation was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday, and the Union Law Ministry issued a notification to announce it.

This leaves Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the sole member of the poll body.

A search committee under Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, comprising the Home Secretary and the Department of Personnel and Training secretary, will first prepare two separate panels of five names each for the two posts.

Later, the selection committee headed by the prime minister will name two persons for appointment as election commissioners.

Sources had earlier said the selection committee could meet either on March 13 or 14, depending on the convenience of the members, and the appointments were likely by March 15.

Before a new law on the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners came into force recently, the election commissioners were appointed by the president on the government's recommendation and, as per custom, the senior-most was appointed as the chief election commissioner.