Congress Raises Concerns Over Arun Goel’s Resignation Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections

The Congress party, through its general secretary Jairam Ramesh, voiced deep concerns over the abrupt resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Labeling it as another blow to India’s democratic institutions under the Modi administration, Ramesh accused the government of undermining the autonomy of critical bodies like the Election Commission of India (ECI). He further criticized the ECI’s refusal to engage with the INDIA bloc parties on issues related to Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), which are crucial for safeguarding the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In the wake of Goel’s resignation, Congress has posed three pressing questions:

1. Was Goel’s resignation due to potential disagreements with either the Chief Election Commissioner or directly with the Modi government, which Congress alleges has been undermining independent institutions?
2. Could the resignation be attributed to personal reasons unrelated to his professional duties or political pressures?
3. Is there a possibility that Goel, mirroring a recent move by a Calcutta High Court Judge, resigned to pursue a political career, potentially contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections with a BJP ticket?

Goel’s departure from the Election Commission on Saturday has sparked widespread speculation about the motives behind his sudden decision. Although the exact reasons remain undisclosed, media reports suggest a range of possibilities from internal disagreements to personal motives.

With Goel’s term originally set to extend until December 5, 2027, and his prospective ascension to Chief Election Commissioner following Rajiv Kumar’s retirement next February, the timing of his resignation raises significant questions about the future leadership of the ECI. Goel, a retired 1985-batch IAS officer from the Punjab cadre, had only joined the Election Commission in November 2022. Following his resignation and the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February, the commission is now left with a single member, the Chief Election Commissioner, highlighting concerns about the commission’s functioning and its preparedness for the upcoming elections.