TPCC senior vice-president and Chairman of the Election Commission Coordination Committee, G Niranjan, expressed concern over the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel. This comes at a crucial time when the Election Commission is expected to release the Lok Sabha election schedule in the next few days, causing disruption to election arrangements.
With one Election Commissioner retiring and another resigning, the situation has put the release of the election schedule in jeopardy. Arun Goel’s resignation, especially after months of preparation for the elections, is a serious matter that needs to be addressed. Niranjan emphasized that action should be taken against Arun Goel for his irresponsible resignation.
The reasons cited in Goel’s resignation letter were deemed less important than the country’s interests. Niranjan questioned why steps were not taken to fill the upcoming vacancy due to another Election Commissioner, Anoop Pandey, retiring soon. He called on Prime Minister Modi to take responsibility and apologize for the unexpected developments within the Election Commission just before the general elections.
Changes made by the Modi government in the Election Commissioners Appointment Act have raised concerns about the selection process. The exclusion of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from the selection committee gives the government more control. This poses a risk in appointing new commissioners who may lack the necessary experience to oversee elections effectively.
In a related incident, a judge from the Bengal High Court recently resigned from his position and joined the BJP.
