Government likely to appoint two new election commissioners by March 15

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India is likely to get two new election commissioners by March 15 to fill the vacancies left after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the surprise exit of Arun Goel, a PTI report said citing sources.
A search committee under Union law minister Arjun Ram Megwal and comprising the cabinet secretaries of the home department and department of personnel and training will prepare two separate panels of five names each for the two posts.
Later, a selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising a Union minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will then name two persons for appointment as election commissioners before the official appointment by the President.
PTI reported that the selection committee will be meeting either on March 13 or 14, depending on the convenience of the members.
The new law on the appointment of CEC and ECs came into force recently. Before this, the Chief Justice of India was also involved in the process.
After the resignation of Arun Goel, only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar was left in the 3-member poll panel, with the Lok Sabha polls just weeks away.
Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey had retired on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years.