Recently, Congress' Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury disclosed that a panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Sandhu as the latest Election Commissioners.
The retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and the sudden resignation of Arun Goel last week left two vital positions vacant in the Election Commissioner's office.
Chowdhury, while addressing reporters, highlighted the government's control over the appointment committee, stating they had initially presented 212 names but later narrowed it down to just six, minutes before the final decision. He expressed concerns about the transparency of the process.
Gyanesh Kumar, a seasoned 1988-batch Kerala cadre officer, joins the Election Commission after serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Notably, during his tenure in the Home Ministry, Kumar played a significant role in the abrogation of Article 370.
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, another 1988-batch former IAS officer from the Uttarakhand cadre, brings his experience to the commission. Originally from Punjab, Sandhu previously held the position of chief secretary of Uttarakhand during Pushkar Singh Dhami's tenure as Chief Minister in 2021. Additionally, he served as the chairperson of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Kumar and Sandhu will now join Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the nation gears up for a busy election season.
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