Election Commissioner Arun Goel who was to retire in 2027, resigned when elections are just to be announced. Congress says there is no transparency in the EC functioning
While the date schedule of the general elections are expected to be announced next week before March 15 th, the resignation of the Election commissioner Arun Goel, an IAS officer Punjab cadre , 1985, has created quite a sensitisation in Election Commission. The resignation of the Election Commissioner Rajiv Goel has been duly accepted by the president Draupadi Murmu. The all of a sudden quitting of Arun Goel as election commissioner has allegedly raised certain questions about free and fair elections and transparency in the conduct of elections especially when the election dates are likely to be announced shortly. Questions are being asked though clandestinely as to what was the urgent need for EC Arun Goel to resign in a huff when his retirement was far away, to be retired on December 5, 2027. Had he not resigned he would have become the CEC after the resignation of the incumbent CEC. After the abrupt resignation of Mr.Goel the Election Commission is now left with only only EC.
The veteran Congress leader, RS MP and the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and K.C.Venugopal, general secretary ( Organisation) has expressed his serious concern over the sudden resignation of the Election Commissioner Arun Goel saying that India has only one election commissioner , even as Lok Sabha Elections are to be announced in few days . If we do not stop decimation of our institutions our democracy shall be usurped by Dictatorship. Kharge wrote on social media platform X :
Election Commission or Election OMISSION? India now has only ONE Election Commissioner, even as Lok Sabha elections are to be announced in few days. Why? As I have said earlier, if we do NOT stop the systematic decimation of our independent institutions, our DEMOCRACY shall be usurped by DICTATORSHIP ! ECI will now be among the last Constitutional institutions to fall. Since the new process of selecting the Election Commissioners have now effectively given all the power to the ruling party and the PM, why has the new Election Commissioner not appointed even after 23 of the completion of latter’s tenure? Modi Govt must answer these questions and come out with a reasonable explanation.
Congress leader K.C.Venogpal said : It is deeply concerning for the health of the world’s largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr. Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha elections. There is absolutely no transparency in how a constitutional institution like the ECI has been functioning and the manner in which the government pressurises them. During the 2019 elections, Mr. Ashok Lavasa had dissented against a clean chit to the PM for violating the Model Code of Conduct. Later, he faced relentless inquiries. This attitude shows the regime is hellbent on destroying democratic traditions. This must be explained, and the ECI must be completely non-partisan at all times wrote the Congress general secretary on X .
The Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale expressed his concerns saying that now the Election Commission will have to make two to the poll panel before the general elections.
The abrupt resignation of the Election Commissioner Arun Goel just at the nick of the time when elections are likely to be declared certainly raise certain questions which need to be answered say Congress leaders. There are always reasons after any resignation but in this case there are none ask these leaders.
