President Droupadi Murmu has appointed retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners. The decision was made following a panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day in the national capital.
The appointments were made under the powers conferred by section 4 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. A gazette notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice confirmed the appointments, effective from the date they assumed office.
"In exercise of powers conferred by section 4 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 (Act No. 49 of 2023), the President is pleased to appoint Shri Gyanesh Kumar, IAS(Retd.) and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, IAS(Retd.) as Election Commissioners in the Election Commission of India, with effect from the date they assume charge of their office," the gazette notification read.
These appointments come at a crucial juncture as two vacancies in the Election Commission were created after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and the recent surprise resignation of Arun Goel, just days ahead of the Lok Sabha polls 2024.
Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, brings with him a wealth of experience. Aged 60, Kumar has previously worked closely with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and retired as the secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation on January 31, 2024. His previous roles include serving as the secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a 1998 batch IAS officer from the Uttarakhand cadre, also joins the Election Commission with a distinguished career. Sandhu notably served as the chief secretary of Uttarakhand during Pushkar Singh Dhami's tenure as Chief Minister in 2021.
The timing of these appointments holds significance as the Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for the April-May Lok Sabha polls imminently. The new commissioners are anticipated to swiftly assume their roles to aid the poll body in conducting the upcoming elections.
These appointments also come amidst ongoing legal scrutiny, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear petitions challenging the selection process. Notably, in March last year, the top court mandated the inclusion of the Chief Justice of India in the selection panel. However, a subsequent law passed by the Union government replaced the Chief Justice with a Union Minister.