The Election Commission of India (ECI) has formally welcomed the newly appointed election commissioners to their roles. They are the first members appointed under the new law for chief election commissioner and ECs. CEC Rajiv Kumar welcomed them, highlighting the importance of their arrival as the election commission prepares for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The vacancies arose after Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement on February 14 and Arun Goel's sudden resignation on March 8. Kumar and Sandhu were appointed by the selection panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The selection committee, comprised PM Modi, Law minister Arjun Meghwal, and the Leader of the opposition.Gyanesh Kumar, retired as secretary of the cooperation ministry in February, while Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a 1988 batch IAS officer, retired from the post of chief secretary on January 31, 2024.After the meeting of the selection committee, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, expressed disagreement with the government's choices for the position of election commissioner. Following the meeting, Chowdhury raised concerns about the selection process, citing 'lacunae' in the procedure.