NEW DELHI, March 10 -- After the sudden resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel on Saturday at a time when the poll body was in the midst of finalising the schedule of the coming Lok Sabha elections, the Union Government is learnt to be taking swift steps to fill in the two vacancies in the three-member poll body.

After the exit of Arun Goel and another EC Anup Pandey completing his tenure last month, the Election Commission is left with only the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. The government will now have to quickly take steps to fill in the two vacancies at a fast pace, completing the process of shortlisting the names of eligible candidates, and holding a meeting of the selection panel, headed by the Prime Minister.

Sources indicated that two election commissioners are likely to be appointed by March 15 to fill the vacancies.

A search committee under Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and comprising the Home Secretary and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Secretary will first prepare two separate panels of five names each for the two posts.

Later, a selection committee headed by the Prime Minister and comprising a Union minister and Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will then name two persons for appointment as election commissioners. The election commissioners will be appointed by the President.

Sources said the selection committee could meet either on March 13 or 14 depending on the convenience of the members and the appointments are likely to be made by March 15.Before a new law on the appointment of CEC and ECs came into force recently, the election commissioners were appointed by the President on the government's recommendation and as per custom, the senior-most was appointed as CEC. Originally, the commission had only a CEC. It currently consists of the CEC and two election commissioners. Two additional commissioners were first appointed on October 16, 1989, but they had a very short tenure till January 1, 1990. Later, on October 1, 1993, two additional election commissioners were appointed.

The concept of a multi-member EC has been in operation since then, with decisions made by a majority vote.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.