New Delhi (15.03.2024): On Thursday, curtains came down on the much-hyped and abruptly created vacancy in the Election Commission of India (ECI) vice Arun Goel (Retd IAS: 1985: PB) with the appointment of two Election Commissioners -- Gyanesh Kumar (Retd IAS: 1988: KL) and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (Retd IAS: 1988: UK). They assumed charge today and held a 45-minute-long meeting with ECI officials.

The Poll Panel headed by Rajiv Kumar (Retd IAS: 1984: JH) is now complete and momentum appears to be visible for conducting 2024 General Elections. The 2024 LS elections are likely to be announced tomorrow and Election Code of Conduct would be in place immediately.

Amid all this ECI-centric activities last week, it is worth underlining that the trust of the present dispensation on both the retired IAS officers got them the coveted jobs besides some other bureaucratic skill sets like patience and perseverance.

Gyanesh Kumar as a Joint Secretary (J&K) in MHA acted a bridge while the abrogation of Article 370 was being crafted quietly. He further passed the patience test when he was denied empanelment as Additional Secretary (AS) in the first list and later empanelled as AS-Equivalent. On his empanelment as Secretary, in the first review list, he was moved as Parliamentary Affairs Secretary which commonly considered as shunting post but in fact it’s not. His tenure as Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation under Amit Shah was seen a reward and also an indication that the dispensation would reward him with some key position post-retirement.

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is considered to be one of most versatile officers who brings with him a vast experience in administration as Secretary to Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal, Principal Secretary to Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat, NHAI Chairman under Nitin Gadkari, Chief Secretary to the state under CM Pushkar Singh Dhami. Having completed his extended tenure as CS on January 31, 2024, the Centre picked him for the prime post of Secretary to the Lokpal on contract basis for a period of one year. Having proven his mettle as one of the most trusted officers, the Centre finally rewarded him with the coveted post of EC.

First time in ECI:

Perhaps this is the first time that two Election Commissioners and a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner (Dharmendra Sharma (IAS: UT) are of the same batch.

Goel’s resignation: Mystery unfolds?

The appointment of two batchmates probably unfolds the mystery of sudden resignation of Arun Goel. Initially several insiders presumed it to be a well-conceived move instead of an abrupt decision taken out of displeasure either at the end of the ruling dispensation or vice versa. A section of insiders said that apparently the ruling dispensation did not want Goel as CEC after Rajiv Kumar completes his term in April 2025. If he was asked by the government to put in his papers, he may be suitable compensated post elections.   

Why two batchmates?

The appointments have furthered the buzz that who would be considered as senior among the two ECs. A section of people assumes that their seniority would be decided by the merit list of the batch but they overlook the fact that after retirement presumably, the two batchmates would have to compete and work hard to fit into the shoes of Rajiv Kumar next years. The establishment has probably devised a model that may yield dividend ahead. In all likelihood, the establishment would leave it on them to prove their worth to become CEC.

(By Rakesh Ranjan)

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