Reports suggest that by March 15, two new election commissioners are expected to be appointed to fill the void left by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the unexpected resignation of Arun Goel. The Prime Minister-led selection committee for the appointment of Election Commission members is anticipated to convene on either March 14 or 15 to choose candidates for the vacant posts.
Originally slated for March 15 to address Pandey’s retirement, the selection panel’s meeting might be rescheduled to March 14 due to the emergence of a second vacancy caused by Goel’s exit. Adhur Ranjan Chowdhary, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, who is a part of the selection committee along with a cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister, has been informed about the potential meeting.
Potential candidates being considered include Sanjay Kumar Mishra (Retd IRS IT: 1984), former Chief of the Enforcement Directorate, P C Mody (Retd IRS IT: 1982), former CBDT Chief, and JB Mohapatra (Retd IRS IT L: 1985). Dinkar Gupta (IPS: 1986: PB), the current NIA Chief, and other retired or soon-to-retire IAS officers like Radha S Chauhan (IAS: 1988: UP) are also circulating as possible nominees in the Poll Panel.
It’s worth noting that the Modi government has a history of surprising selections for highly speculated and discussed positions. Sources indicate that approximately 30 officers from various services and batches are actively vying for these coveted positions.
