Election Commissioner Arun Goel (Retd.IAS:1985:PB) submitted his resignation on Saturday, March 9, 2024. The Law Ministry confirmed the immediate acceptance of his resignation by President Droupadi Murmu. Arun Goel, poised to succeed as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) upon the retirement of current CEC Rajiv Kumar (Retd.IAS:1984:JH) in February 2025, has left the specific reason for his resignation undisclosed.
Having joined the Election Commission on November 21, 2022, Mr. Goel’s departure, though unexpected, has left the Election Commission with only one member, CEC Rajiv Kumar, following the retirement of Election Commissioner Anup Pandey in February. The unexpected vacancy in the Commission raises complexity in its preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The Commission, engaged in assessing poll readiness across all States and Union Territories, faces challenges as it was scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir from March 11 to March 13 at this crucial juncture.
