Election Commissioner Arun Goel Resigns Weeks Before 2024 Lok Sabha Polls

According to a law ministry notification, Arun Goel's resignation has been accepted by President Droupadi Murmu with effect from Saturday. It was not immediately known why he stepped down.

New Delhi:In a significant development, Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Ministry of Law and Justice said in a gazette notification that President Droupadi Murmu accepted Goel's resignation from his post as Election Commissioner, without citing a reason for his departure.

"In pursuance of clause (1) of Section 11 of The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the President is pleased to accept the resignation tendered by Shri Arun Goel, Election Commissioner with effect from the 09th March, 2024," the notification read.

His tenure was till December 2027. It was not immediately known why he stepped down. Goel, a retired bureaucrat, was a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. He had joined the Election Commission in November 2022. Following the retirement of Anup Pandey in February and Goel's resignation, the three-member EC panel has now only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.

A former IAS officer, Goel's hurried appointment as Election Commissioner in November 2022, a day after his voluntary retirement, was questioned by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had asked the Centre to produce before it the file related Goel's appointment as Election Commissioner, who was appointed on November 19. The apex court had questioned the process adopted for appointing Goel as Election Commissioner, and said his file got clearances in "haste" and with "tearing hurry".

Before his voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Services, Goel was Union Heavy Industries Secretary.

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