New election commissioners take charge

March 15, 2024 | < 1 min read

Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar (centre) flanked by the two new election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (left) and Gyanesh Kumar at the office of the Election Commission of India today (March 15), after their appointments by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection panel yesterday *(Photo: @SpokespersonECI/X)*

Friday marked the commencement of Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu’s tenures as election commissioners, following their appointments by the selection panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

These appointments fill the vacancies left in the Election Commission after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and the unexpected resignation of Arun Goel last week.

Anticipated to announce the schedule for the April-May Lok Sabha elections imminently, the Election Commission will benefit from the expertise of the new commissioners in conducting these crucial elections.

Notably, these appointments occur a day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to review petitions contesting the selection process.