Modi-led panel to meet next week to pick new poll panel chief

A selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet here on Monday to finalise the name of the next chief election commissioner, sources said on Friday.

The panel also comprises the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

It will meet on Monday at the prime minister's official residence ahead of the retirement of incumbent Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on February 18.

The panel will recommend a name from among the candidates shortlisted by a search committee. The president will then appoint the next CEC based on the recommendation.

After Rajiv Kumar, Gyanesh Kumar is the senior-most election commissioner. His tenure is till January 26, 2029. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is the other election commissioner.

So far, the senior-most election commissioner (EC) was elevated as CEC following the retirement of the incumbent. However, after a new law on appointments of the CEC and ECs came into force last year, a search committee shortlists names of five secretary-level officers for consideration by a prime minister-led panel for appointment to the posts.

Besides the CEC, a new EC could also be appointed to fill the vacancy created by Rajiv Kumar's retirement.

While provisions of the "Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023" are being applied for the first time to appoint a CEC, it was used to appoint ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sandhu to fill the vacancies created by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the resignation of Arun Goel last year.

The law gives power to the selection committee to name a person beyond the five names shortlisted by the search committee headed by the law minister.

According to the law, the CEC and ECs will be appointed by the president on the recommendation of a selection committee headed by the prime minister and comprising the Lok Sabha opposition leader and a Union Cabinet minister to be nominated by the prime minister.

The sources said the same set of candidates could also be used to appoint a new EC.

According to the law, the CEC and other ECs will be appointed from among persons who are holding or have held a post equivalent to the rank of secretary to the government of India and will be persons of integrity with knowledge of and experience in management and conduct of elections.

In other words, serving and retired secretary-level officials can be appointed as the CEC and ECs.