In a shocking move, the Election Commissioner of India, Mr. Arun Goel, an IAS officer of 1985 batch of Punjab cadre, resigned from his designation with merely a month to go before the Lok Sabha polls and three years before his superannuation.
President of India, Ms Droupadi Murmu, accepted Officer Goel’s resignation with immediate effect, but the reason behind Officer Goel’s resignation remains undisclosed.
India stands at a precarious juncture ahead of the world’s largest democratic exercise as the independent constitutional body which is responsible for conducting the plebiscite (Election Commission of India) comprises only one member now, the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. Rajiv Kumar (1984 batch IAS officer) after the retirement of Mr. Anup Pandey and resignation by Mr. Arun Goel.
Mr Goel assumed the critical designation of Election Commissioner on November 21st, 2022, a post entitled to him until 2027. Officer Goel had earlier served as Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
