Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigns ahead of Lok Sabha elections

Arun Goel has resigned as the election commissioner, the Law Ministry said on Saturday.

This comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and Legislative Assembly elections in four states.

Goel’s resignation was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu, the ministry said in a gazette notification.

The government did not specify why Goel stepped down.

Goel was the secretary in the Union heavy industries ministry when he took voluntary retirement on November 18, 2022 before he was to retire on December 31, 2022. However, on November 19, 2022, Murmu appointed him the election commissioner, filling a vacancy.

Rajiv Kumar is the current chief election commissioner. Goel was one of the three election commissioners. The other post of election commissioner was already vacant even before Goel resigned.

The Election Commission is yet to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections. In 2019, the model code of conduct for the general election was imposed in the second week of March and polling took place between April and May in seven phases.