NEW DELHI: In a surprise move just days ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha polls, Election Commissioner Arun Goel on Saturday resigned from the post, leaving the poll body with just one member. The resignation of Goel, whose tenure was till December 2027, has been accepted by President Droupadi Murmu on March 9, a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice said. The reason for Goel’s departure could not be known immediately and he could not be contacted for his comments. He is the second Election Commissioner after Ashok Lavasa, who later joined Asian Development Bank, to resign in less than four years. Goel’s resignation also comes two days ahead of the Supreme Court‘s hearing of a plea by SBI seeking more time to furnish details on electoral bonds to the EC and a contempt petition against it. From Monday onwards, the EC is to visit Jammu and Kashmir to review Lok Sabha poll preparations. Goel, a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, had joined the EC in November 2022 and the Supreme Court had upheld his appointment though it has said that the file had moved in “lightning speed” after he took VRS from service. With this, the EC has now been left with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar only. Another Commissioner Arun Pandey had retired on February 14 and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel has not met since then to choose a replacement.
