Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Sandhu selected poll officers, alleges Congress MP Adhir Ranjan

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, announced on Thursday that bureaucrats Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Sandhu were chosen as election commissioners for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. The official confirmation from the government is still pending. 

The statement came after a meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a three-member selection panel, of which Chowdhury is a part, tasked with appointing the poll officers. Chowdhury expressed dissatisfaction over not receiving a short list of candidates and having to choose from a list of 212 names in a short span. 

This follows the unexpected resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel, which stirred controversy with the Opposition citing it as a 'systematic decimation' of independent institutions. The formation of a complete three-member Election Commission is crucial, considering the impending general elections.

Madhya Pradesh Congress leader, Jaya Thakur, has submitted a plea to the Supreme Court, requesting to halt the government from appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners as per the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023. 

There are already petitions challenging the constitutionality of this Act, which removed the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel for election commissioners, pending in the Supreme Court. Chowdhury informed the media that the Supreme Court had suggested including the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee, but this was not taken into account. Home Minister Amit Shah, alongside a search committee represented by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, were present at the meeting.

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